Guide to Using Social Media Marketing for Customer Engagement

This is the second podcast in a series of three. The first episode was a handy guide to using email marketing.

As you may or may not know, we’ve teamed up with the experts from The Joy of Marketing to present a podcast series that will help you turn your online store into a selling machine. Sarah Petty and Erin Verbeck (the co-founders of The Joy of Marketing) specialize in helping boutique shop owners make the most of their marketing efforts.

This weeks podcast delves into the amazing world of social media! Social media is reinventing marketing, communications and how we do business in general. If utilized correctly, it can be a powerful marketing tool that brings in new customers while engaging your current database.

In this second 15 minute episode you will learn:

• How to join online conversations to bring in more customers;
• The do’s and dont’s of online networking and social media;
• How to boost your ranking in search engines so people can find you.

Download the MP3 here.

Tips & Tricks

After watching the second podcast, follow these handy tips and tricks:

1. It may seem like everyone and their dog has a blog, but that shouldn’t detract you from appreciating their importance. Take some time out of your day to comment on 5 relevant blogs. Show people that you’re not just in it for money but you’re actively engaged in the industry as a passion. Google Blog Search is another handy tool to help you find interesting blogs in your niche.

2. Forums are online discussions where people are encouraged to post and comment on a certain subject. Find some pertinent forums and get involved in the conversation!

3. Some of the most defining moments of our younger generation’s age have come through Facebook. Creating a Facebook fan page is a sure-fire way to connect with the younger demographic.

4. Twitter is fast, easy and fun. This little blue bird is everywhere and it’s getting bigger and bigger every day. Set up a Twitter account for your online store and get the ball rolling by adding 50 people. Remember there are good and bad ways to tweet. People are turned off by blatant advertising so keep your tweets creative, light and friendly. The key with Twitter is to evoke conversation and generate some buzz. CopyBlogger has a great article about growing your business using twitter.