In a time where information travels fast, and the attention span of the average internet user is less than a few seconds, finding a way to steal a few minutes away is key.  While tweeting the latest 5% discount may bring a few people in, the value provided by your companies social pages is left to a minimum.  When I scroll through my never ending list of "I'm sitting at work bored" status updates and photo albums from Jenny Nosense's weekend at the lake, a new promotion announcement in a 10 word status seems to just blend in and be overlooked.  The social media market provides a quick way to spread the word about your products or services, but can be an even greater asset when used properly to convey an even stronger message.

Common social media misconceptions:

• More followers = More Exposure
• Advertising prices and promotions will get my followers attention
• Having a facebook/twitter alone is enough to get new customers

If you think about it, the items listed above are all false.  While they present the basic foundations of social marketing, they are far to simplistic to get any solid results.  When the status update is replaced by the blog link, or the newest company note, you start providing greater value to your potential customers.  It is one thing to tell your customers what you're selling, it's another to make them understand why they need to get it from you.  Since your claiming to be the best lawn cutting service in the city, or you have the best built computers around, it should make sense that you show people why.  Rather than using your new outlet as a product showcase and instead utilizing it to announce new break throughs in your industry or providing tutorials on how to repair a broken high heel, you give your user a reason to take a look and a glimpse into why you're the best.  When a user scrolls through that endlessly pointless list and see's something that strikes their interest they're going to take a look.  And what will they see when they come to read your article?  That status update about your 10% off sale on used printer paper.
Quick Tips to Increase Social Network Traffic

• Start a weekly blog
  • Give your users something besides a sales pitch to read, give them a reason to remember your name.
  • Keep it short, no more than a page in a word document.
  • USE PARAGRAPHS and make your point, this is a legitimate blog post, not a 30 second used car commercial.
  • Update weekly, if not daily
  • Keep your content fresh, even if you refresh your status daily, keep things moving.
• Create discussions and let users interact
  • Not an interesting writer? Ask your followers a question, get them to discuss their opinion. There's nothing the twitter/facebook user loves more than arguing or hearing their own voice.
  • Get involved.  Don't just ask and ignore, respond.  OFTEN! If you care enough to discuss with a customer online, you must be the guy they want to deal with in reality.

The idea is to truly connect with your user base.  While having a ton of followers can ensure your message is shown, it doesn't promise it will be noticed and for that matter read.  By making a personal connection and engaging your customer, even if it isn't directly related to your product or even your field, you give them a reason to remember the name John's Store.  When you break away from the linear, conservative ideas involved in corporate advertising and marketing, you can find an entirely new way of bringing in new customers and keeping them.
By removing the idea that traditional methods, ie advertising price and basic benefit, will work in a new age market you can begin to utilize the social market to it's greatest level.  Whether publishing a weekly blog about industry advances and cool stuff happening with your company, or giving demonstrations on basic techniques in your field, you set yourself apart from the pack.
Want your FaceBook, Twitter or website to have freshly updated content related to your field?  Let myRise Design keep your content updated with our Social Media and Content Update packages.

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The information presented in the above article is not warranted or guaranteed by myRise Design to be effective and should not be construed as fact.  The information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes to provide foundations for the reader to use in personal ventures.  myRise Design will not be held liable for any negative consequences incurred from implimentation of the content in this article.