Table of Contents
Foreword
If youre wondering what it takes to grow a business in todays environment, online marketing and social networking are proving to be the fastest, most efficient ways to reach and connect with current and new customers, sometimes into the millions.
My personal passion in reaching customers and clients around the globe via teleseminars and online virtual book tours brought me into this new world of brandingsocial networking. It is apparent that the social media environment is a great place to market and grow your business. What started as a fad has now transitioned into a movement that continues to have a huge yet positive impact on a companys bottom line, its brand recognition, and customer loyalty.
The difference between a company that succeeds online and one that doesnt is whether managers and business owners understand how to use these new media tools efficiently. Although the World Wide Web is evolving daily and new social networking sites may come and go, the importance of joining the conversation and incorporating this strategy into your marketing plan now is crucial to the long-term success of any business.
This book is a great step-by-step and reference guide to get you up and running with social networking, and it will save you hundreds of hours in research and training. The chapters start right off with how-tos and fresh, innovative approaches and ideas to help you use social networking as a marketing tool. With reviews of the top social networking sites that include step-by-step set up information, site tips, tricks, and resources, this book is not just for beginners. Its also a good book for bringing experienced social networkers up to speed on some new techniques, sites, and resources. Use this book as a guide or tutorial. Whichever way you decide to use it, it will serve you well in future learning and in your day-to-day social networking.
Starr Hall and Chadd Rosenberg have written an educational and easy-to-understand book with the purpose of teaching entrepreneurs and business owners how to navigate through all of the hype and focus in on tested and proven online networking techniques. The book includes everything you need to know to get started with social networking as well as how to grow your business online.
You will be able to clearly identify your online networking goals, create a plan, be efficient with your time, and choose what sites are best for you and your company. Furthermore, the book includes actual case history success stories that will help you learn a few additional secrets to social networking greatness.
Its my pleasure to provide this foreword and to recommend this book. I resonate with this books simplicity and Starr Halls obvious passion for social networking. It is apparent that Starr is a social networking and media expert and a darn good educator.
I really liked the book and found it valuable. I think you will, too. Enjoy!
P.S. If you have a sales and or marketing staff, I encourage you to get a book for every team member. Youll be glad you did.
Alex Mandossian
Founder, www.HeritageHouseMedia.com
Preface
It started as a conversation online several years ago. I was browsing through my e-mail in-box, and I came across an invite from a long-time contact and friend to become a member of LinkedIn. My first thought was, what in the heck is LinkedIn, and why do I need to go to that site to talk to this person? Why cant they just e-mail me? So, I ignored the e-mail. A few weeks passed, and I received another LinkedIn invite. Only this time it was from the head of a major corporation. I sat back and wondered, why is the CEO of this company on a site trying to talk and connect with me? There must be something more to this that Im missing. That is when my fascination with social networking began.
Hello, my name is Starr Hall, and I am a social networking addict! What started out as an e-mail invite turned into a two-way online conversation that transitioned into new business for me that continues to this day. I became so involved with online social networks that I actually stopped doing traditional marketing and networking for almost a year. I just had to go to every site I could find to see if I wanted to be on itand, more importantly, if my ideal client and/or target market was on the site. Through the contacts I made, I began to receive requests for paid speaking engagements and consulting client contracts, and my e-mail list tripled in a matter of months. I was so excited about all of my continued successes that I started to share them both online and off. It was then that I realized I was the only one in my circle and center of influence who was reaping the benefits of this new phenomenon.
I started to watch other postings and asked managers and entrepreneurs who were online what type of business they were getting and what were some of their secrets for getting this business through social networking sites. Only a few major networkers online had successful stories and case histories that they could share. I wondered what in the heck everyone else was even doing online if they werent getting the business from it. Were they just there to gossip and chat? I certainly didnt have time for that.
Within the first few months of my social networking experiences, I just knew that I had to write a book to help businesses and entrepreneurs not only learn about social networks but learn how to actually get business from their online conversations and efforts and not get caught up in gossip and notso-useful chatter.
I really started to see a shift with social networking with the Obama campaign. I truly believe that Obama and his campaign team changed the face of social networking by taking it from a conversation to an engaging and interactive branding and business-building tool. I followed the online campaign from start to finish and incorporated some of Obamas techniques and approaches into my own networking online. It worked!
This book is not just a how-to resource guide. Every page incorporates countless hours of research and experience to show you how and why social networking works and why you should incorporate this medium into your current and future marketing strategy. Im passionate about social networking and what it can do for businesses, and Ive shared all my secrets and findings with you throughout this book. If you use this book as a reference and resource guide to help you along your social networking journey, I assure you that you will achieve online branding success. Remember that the key to action is being persistent. Dont jump on a site and try it for a week and then decide that it doesnt work. Just as it takes time to build in-person relationships and business, the same applies online. The difference is you can access more people, faster and home in on your actual ideal client and/or target market.
I just could not keep these techniques and tips to myself another minute. I had to get them into print for you, and I am so glad that Entrepreneur Press shared the same passion by choosing to publish this book and get it out there for you and everyone interested in social networking and its marketing potential.