How To Use The Social Media Platform To Reinforce your Brand
Friday, May 29, 2009 at 03:08PM By: Beth Heilman
One of the first things you're taught when you enter the world of online marketing is the importance of what's referred to as "branding yourself".
Branding yourself isn't about selling the company you represent or selling a product. It has everything to do with standing out in a crowd and selling your most important product, You.
The social media platform, places like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter, has leveled the playing field and made it possible for the average home based business person to compete with the "big guys" on the internet.
Here are some things to keep in mind when you're involved with social media sites.
Decide what your brand actually is- Everyone is unique and has strengths and weaknesses. Don't think that just because you're new to internet marketing you don't have much to offer. Play on your strengths. Are you great with computers and all things "techy"? You can be the IT Maven. If you're the warm, fuzzy type and like to help people solve their problems, then you can "Motivation Man". Heck, you could even have a picture of yourself wearing a cape. Standing out in a crowd can be a good thing.
On any Social Media Platform, Look for people who need what you have to offer...
The phrase "target market" gets a lot of play these days, but if you're putting yourself in front of anyone who can fog a mirror and collecting friends on MySpace just for the sake of saying you have 1524 friends, that won't put money in your bank account.
Sure, be friendly to the folks you meet online (you never know who could turn into your best customer), but usually those folks will seek you out once they know what you're doing. Hint: If you're in Real Estate, find out where the Realtors hang out. If you're into health and wellness, there are tons of groups on social media sites like Facebook, MySpace and a bajillion other sites where those folks gather. Go where your market is. Just doing a keyword search for terms like "realtors" or "fitness"for example, inside of each social media site will give you more groups and fan clubs than you could ever visit in this lifetime. 
Thou shalt not spam- On any social Media Platform... This is a biggy!
The surest way to kill a "brand" before ever getting out of the starting gate is to start off with a sales pitch. On many of the social media sites, there is a limit to the number of emails that can be sent out at a time to avoid the spammy thing(and for good reason). In my Facebook account for example, I get email everyday from people promoting the newest, ground-floor opportunity and to be nice(and thinking they thought enough of me to send me a personal message) I open it only to find that I was part of an email blast campaign and got my letter earlier than the rest because my name starts with "B". So much for being special. Can you say "delete"?
You, on the other hand are in here reading this because want to learn the the most effective social media marketing methods available to brand yourself as a professional online. (Man, that was a mouthful :-) ) That education can be found at Renegade University (this gets you started) and Renegade Professional (this one is the whole enchilada). Internet Marketing using the Social Media Platform is a must-do for anyone wanting to use the internet to network effectively. Renegade Professional is like earning a PhD. in Internet and Social Media Marketing.
Internet Network Marketer, Renegade Professional Super Guide, Stay-At-Home Mom and Real Estate Agent in Las Vegas for nearly 18 years, Beth Heilman specializes in “Moving Offline Marketers Online”.
Her experience in the offline Real Estate world coupled with the love of all things related to Internet Marketing helps you to create your own dynamic marketing system tailored specifically to your business and your expertise.
Beth’s philosophy is “do what you love, do it for the right reasons and the money will follow”. Following that rule made her a multi-million dollar producer and she wants the same for you. Visit Beth at The HomeBizNetwork.com and HomeBizHearts.com.
Reader Comments (2)
Doing it right is the key here. Don't just pitch your sale or you'll be friend-less.
Have fun too. It's not all about being serious
Scott, you make a great point about not following people for the sake of following to get the numbers piled up.
I guess there is a back and forth discussion about whether or not to do that. Some would say, you never know where the ripple effect will go with your following in terms of your business.
I guess, as your tweets consistently offer value to a particular audience, you will generate some kind of DM exchange and hence develop real relationships with a few from the many.
All relationships built from Social Media add to your life and perhaps even business.