Just because you write blog posts where you are right now, does not mean your readers are near you. They might not even be in the same country. They could very well be in a different time zone. So when you publish a blog post at 10am, many of your readers may still be in bed. It’s not that they will miss it, there are email newsletters and RSS feeds. But if you want to read a post with a ‘call to action’ (you want to sell something) then catching them at the right time is important.

This goes for Twitter as well, it has become a social network of the ‘here and now’. It is quite easy to miss a really important Tweet, times lines can be rather full and move quickly. What you need to know is what time is the best time to send out Tweets to ensure you catch your followers attention. However don’t worry there is help available!

There is a new crop of measurement tools that reports on your followers, how well you are doing in social networking.

Klout.com will show you have well you are doing on social networking in general. Who you influence and who influences you. You can add lots of different sites such as Twitter and Facebook. You get back a score that reflects your own performance. Check to see if any friends are using the service and compare against them.

Crowdbooster.com, measures your Twitter account, tells you how many people have mentioned you and retweeted your updates. This site will also tell you the best times to send out tweets and allows you to schedule them too. Set up a time to tweet a blog post, in fact schedule a bunch of them.

Google Analytic’s and other similar services will report on how well your site is performing and popular days. Work out the best times to publish blog posts, try it out and experiment and see what works for you.

WordPress has a built in scheduling system, you can set the date and time for when you want an article published. In combination with analytic’s, you can find the best time to unleash your latest work to your readers.

By knowing the best times to publish you can increase your chances of getting your posts seen. Of course the best thing of all is most of these services are free. Best kind really!

About this Author

RJ Toovey, a long time blogger writes for http://www.tint-network.co.uk and has done for some time. WordPress fan, exploring the reaches of social networking and never can resist coding in one way or another. He currently lives in Europe. Contact him @bobtoovey on Twitter

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_J_Toovey

Today I thought it was about time that I discussed the importance in fact why it is absolutely critical to get your home based small business on YouTube. Why it is crucial to the success of your home business and in the near future how your entire marketing strategy will be dead without it!

Unless you have been living 20,000 leagues under the sea for the past few years, you’ve no doubt heard of YouTube, the video-sharing site owned by Google. YouTube allows anyone to post videos online so that anyone else can watch them. It is a very popular site, ranked 3rd of all sites on the web, in Alexa’s traffic ranking and the second largest search engine on the web behind Google. With hundreds of millions of videos on the YouTube Site it would take a viewer half a millennium to watch them all!

Are You Starting to See The Power Yet?

It is this colossal size of YouTube that makes it so attractive to home based small business and to home businesses in general – as well as the relatively low cost of entry. The cost of making a YouTube video is next to nothing; you don’t need much more than a camcorder and a computer. In fact with the advancement of mobile data and hand held devices you can pretty much use any modern smart phone to record and share a simple video.

Just imagine how powerful it could be for you or your home based small business if you could reach even a tiny percentage of YouTube’s gigantic audience? You can get a very big bang for your marketing buck!

Let’s explore the cost thing a little further

Large businesses have long embraced video marketing, in the form of traditional television advertising. But television ads are expensive, and typically beyond the reach of most home based small business owners. I mean do you still watch adverts on television anymore? I don’t. I am either in the kitchen making a brew or fast forwarding through them.

Thanks to YouTube, however, businesses both large and small can afford to market themselves via online videos. The cost of posting a video on YouTube is zero, YouTube doesn’t charge anything to upload, host or stream videos. The only cost you have is the expense of shooting and editing the video, which can be as low as you want it to be. This makes online video marketing affordable for virtually any business.

Is Video the Right Way To Promote Your Home Based Small Business?

Let’s face it: Consumers love to watch videos. We are becoming less of a society of readers and more one of watchers; the average consumer would rather watch a video than read a text-based advert. Like it or not the change is consumer driven and as a business owner you need to adapt your marketing mix to accommodate this trend.

And here’s the thing: The more interesting the video, the bigger the audience it will attract. You can include a lot more information in a short three minute video, and you can present the information in an entertaining and engaging fashion. People like to be entertained, educated and informed. Online video can do all three things and, in the process, provide a clear picture of the product or service you are offering.

You are not alone – Jump on the bandwagon or be left behind.

It doesn’t matter what type of business you run or how large that business is. You can create effective videos that will attract viewers and drive more people to your website or business offerings. All types of businesses are on YouTube: local businesses, major national marketers, Ad Agencies, Real Estate Agencies, home based small businesses, Consultants, you name it.

Could The Worlds Largest Businesses All Be Wrong?

YouTube is no longer a place to watch kittens falling into bins, or Granddad falling over at a wedding. YouTube is a serious and low cost vehicle for you to promote your home based small business or services on line. Make, upload and share your first video today you may be surprised how easy it is.

About this Author

Over the next few weeks I will be posting more and more videos. To keep abreast of my Hollywood Blockbusters, (not really!) click here. You will then be taken to my YouTube channel where you should click subscribe. Then you can have a browse around, watch some videos and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Debono

Marketing plays a fundamental role in measuring the health of your small business. Without it, you’ll struggle. But with an effective plan, you can turn ordinary ideas into creative marketing ideas to promote success for your business. There are so many ways to market your business, so I thought I’d share just a handful with you that have helped me succeed. Marketing ideas for small business: Below mentioned are the most effective small business marketing ideas to promote your business on the web.

1. Build A Brand. People want to be able to see that you’re building the best brand in your industry. Always speak positively about yourself and your business. Produce great work and leverage the feedback of others to improve your business. Make sure your personal brand is as good as your business brand.

2. Build a Facebook Fan Page. You’re connected to hundreds and potentially thousands of people! Leverage those relationships because your friends are always willing to support you with anything that you do. Build a Facebook Fan Page that promotes your business and presents another avenue for your customers to see your business.

3. Grow Your Facebook Fan Page. Building a Facebook Fan Page is different from growing one. You will need a great looking landing page that shows you want fans to join your community.

4. Make Your Mark on Twitter. Create one. You’ll start promoting your business even more. This one should be easy because it requires very little prep. With it, you can be connected to thousands of people and businesses.

5. Make a LinkedIn Page. Make one for you and your business. There are hundreds of thousands of professionals utilizing this professional website. Try it out.

6. Engagement Marketing. Engage your customers! The last thing people want to hear about is YOU talking about YOURSELF. Ask your fans questions. Get them to write you feedback.

7. Giveaways. Everyone likes something for free. Give your customers something for becoming a fan or being engaged on your fan page wall. I would suggest a small weekly giveaway to keep everyone excited to visit your page every day.

8. Website. Make a clean looking website. Make sure your website looks as good as your products and/or services. Imagine if you are a customer who is viewing your website for the first time. First impressions are huge, so the better you do with them, the better off you will be in retaining your customers.

9. Create an Affiliate Program. Do you know people that simply love your products or services? Do they love them enough to have the urge to refer them to other people? Well, reward them for doing that. It’s simple to create an affiliate program and reward someone for helping you out.

10. Send Out a Newsletter. Create a newsletter and send one out to your email list every week. They will love to read them as long as you keep them interesting and upbeat. Become a master of the industry you’re in, and you’ll go further in growing your business.

About this Author

Author is expert in writing articles on small business marketing ideas [http://www.marketingideasweekly.com/]. He has also written many articles on creative marketing ideas [http://www.marketingideasweekly.com/] and marketing ideas for small business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_N_Foster

Twitter is a fast moving, quick talking, information highway. At first glance it seems rather casual and simplistic with only 140 characters allowed per Tweet; a frivolous waste of time with little use for the small business person -I can hear you saying – you’ve got better things to do. Let me see if I can convince you otherwise. Big business has found Twitter a necessary tool in today’s marketing world and hirer people full time to monitor Twitter, Facebook and all the other Social Media. Let’s look at how Twitter can spread the word on your small business.

The potential viral nature of Tweets and re-Tweets, when used effectively, can be an easy way to spread the word on your business. As a business, your basic purpose on Twitter is to connect and build relationships with your followers – potential customers. Establishing trusted relationships is a gradual “organic” thing and the rewards will come over time as your list grows and they get to know you and your business.

When you write interesting, engaging Tweets that provide value for your followers, conversations happen. To be engaging, find questions to answer, ask questions to start discussions and seek out follower’s comments. Be helpful. Provide information about your services or product that gives immediate solutions to problems Twitter followers may have. For most small businesses it is not a good practice to just promote. Build a community of loyal followers and they will spread the word for you.

Soon you will notice that people are following you because you are interesting and are giving valuable information. As your list of followers grows, you can begin asking for their feedback and suggestions. Take polls by sending them to your website. Offer free items, coupons and tips that keep them coming back. Use links to track which tweets received clicks and which do not so you can refine your approach.

One way to find out what others are saying about your business is to frequently do searches for your name, brand or product type. You can quickly catch the comments written by unhappy customers and respond before it gets out of control. When you find someone with a question, comment, problem or complaint, respond immediately with a DM (direct message). When someone has a problem that your service or product can solve, do an @reply so all your followers see it. This type of response will often be re-tweeted because many are looking for the same solution. Funny and motivational tweets often get re-tweeted as well. Regularly acknowledge and refer to Tweeps who have re-tweeted something you’ve said or responded to your Tweets. (Follow Friday is a great way to do that – you are recommending others follow this person with a #FF.) Build the relationships as you would if they were right there in your establishment doing business with you.

The magic about Twitter is the word will get out about the assistance you’ve offered and how helpful you’ve been. The connections you have will spread to their followers. Conversations with your Tweeps open doors that may lead to improving your product or service and help your business grow. With an established following, you can reward them with special offers, hold contests and extend invitations to visit your website for additional information. You’ve built solid relationships and connections with your followers. They trust you and spread the word on your business further than you can imagine one tweet at a time.

Resource: http://search.twitter.com

About this Author

Terry Loving, owner of http://www.Lovingvisions.com provides Internet Marketing and Social Media solutions to Local Small Businesses – taking the “Local” out of Small Business. In today’s fast paced world marketing online has become critical for the success of your business. Find solutions to your marketing questions when you visit http://terryloving.com (FaceBook). Invite Terry to talk to your business and provide Social Marketing Solutions that can be implemented immediately. Let her help you succeed on line today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Loving

There are many sound tips and guidelines for successful Twitter marketing. Here are 5 tip you need to know that will greatly improve your effectiveness with Twitter:

1) Find Out Who the Influencers Are

Engage with Influencers in your industry. If you don’t know how to find them use the website We Follow. We Follow is a twitter directory that displays influential Twitter users by keywords. I suggest that you also list your own business in there for up to 3 of your main keywords as well. Follow the influencers in your field and engage them in conversations every once in a while. It can help with your credibility among other targeted Twitter users.

2) ONLY TWEET VALUE

One of the problems with Twitter is one of the best parts of Twitter. That is the fact that anyone can blast anything that they want in an open forum setting. This has enabled legions of spammers everywhere to push their products all day long. So you should do the opposite. Rather than push your product with every Tweet, you should tweet valuable content that your target audience can benefit from. If you have a blog (which you should) you can syndicate your posts very nicely on Twitter. After you prove that you are a value tweeter, then you can slip in a product promotion every now and again. Trust on Twitter is hard to get and easy to lose so don’t blow it by being so quick to promote yourself off the bat.

3) Use URL Shortners to Track Effective Tweets

When you tweet out a link to your site or another site, you should use a URL shortner like bit.ly. Bit.ly is great because of how much data they let you track. You are able to see metrics like the amount of clicks each URL you post gets. This allows you to start to see what type of content that your followers like to see. You can then post that type of content more often and bring more value to your followers.

4) Be Consistent

Twitter is one of those tools that is easy to forget about for a few days and not use that often. Fight off the urge to skip days and be consistent with your posting. It really doesn’t take that long to be effective on Twitter. You can manage a successful account in as little as 15 minutes per day.

5) Find Your Target Audience

If you are using Twitter for business then you want to make sure that no tweet gets wasted. You are a busy person. Use tools like Twitter Search and Social Mention to find out what your audience is looking talking about.

In Twitter Search you can enter a keyword term like “small business marketing” into the search bar. To go more in depth you can also see who on Twitter is asking a question about your keywords by adding a question mark at the end of your search “small business marketing?” This search will bring up only results that are questions that are being asked about small business marketing. To get even more in depth, you can filter out any results with links attached by entering a minus sign (-) http. For example “small business marketing? -http” Now you will only see results for people asking questions about small business. This is VERY powerful. It allows you to see the questions that your target audience is asking NOW.

Social Mention is a social media search and analysis platform that aggregates user generated content from across the internet into a single stream of information. It allows you to easily track and measure what people are saying about you, your company, a new product, or any topic in real-time. Social Mention monitors hundreds of social media properties directly including: Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube, Digg, Google etc.

Enter in your search query, then select “Microblogs” and hit “search.” You will be get info about who is tweeting using the terms you entered. Check them out – some may be people in your industry you may want to network with, or loyal customers you want to thank. You can also use it as a customer service tool to respond quickly to people who are saying negative things about your business.

About this Author

Are you looking to find more clients and increase your revenue online?

Tony Idem Jr. is a online marketing consultant, author, and speaker that has been teaching small business owners and entrepreneurs how grow their businesses online for eight years now. If you are looking to for targeted leads, explosive growth in your business, and increased earnings, all WITHOUT having to make a single phone call, go to http://digitalvicegrip.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Idem_Jr.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last 12 months you know the incredible influence Facebook is having on the internet and the way we stay connected. If Facebook was a country it would be the 3rd largest behind India and China with over 400 Million active users.

Even though Facebook has some impressive statistics and figures I believe there are 2 important statistics that small business owners in particular need to know to predict where the market place is going.

1. Facebook send more web traffic to external websites than Google

2. The average user spends 55 minutes every day on Facebook.

No wonder the smart business owners are rapidly shifting a lot of their marketing strategy to involve Facebook – that is where their (and your) customers are hanging out when online.

To get into all the details of Facebook marketing for small business owners is beyond the scope of this article; however I do want to share with you a few tips and methods you can do to start integrating Facebook with your current marketing strategy.

• Create A Facebook Page For Your Business – This is simple a page you can create to promote your business or brand on Facebook. People can ‘Like’ your page and then every time you post something on your page everyone who ‘Likes’ your page will get the message.
• Join Us On Facebook – Facebook have created many widgets and social plugins you can integrate on your website so people can connect with your Facebook page right from your website.
• Newsletter - If you have a mailing list of newsletter make sure to let them all know you have created a page on Facebook and invite them to join or connect with you.
• Email Signature – Place a link to your Facebook page in your email signature and on your business card. Think of all the emails that are sent out from your office, this only take a few minutes to set up, it free and can build your following quite fast
• Testimonials - Any testimonials you have post them on your Facebook page. This works best if you can create a short 30 second video of the testimonial.
• Shipment Fulfillment – If you ship products out to your customers make sure to tell them about your Facebook page and invite them to join there too.

 

Think of the people who like your page as people who have subscribed to your newsletter that is on steroids!

These people are interested in what you are doing, offering, stand for, etc. Build a relationship with these people, provide them value, and give them free stuff, advice, software, reports, something that provides value in their lives.

The big difference between Facebook and your newsletter or subscriber base is that if you send out 4 emails every day to your list most will probably leave and feel like you are just spamming them.

However on Facebook it is ‘normal’ to post regular content, you can get and stay in front of your leads and prospects every day!

About this Author

Don’t forget to pick up your FREE copy of Facebook Marketing for Small Business Guide and as a bonus you will also get a FREE copy of Google Places Optimization guide.

Sam Hopkins helps Small Business owners effectively use the internet to increase leads and sales while lowering marketing cost.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Hopkins

Do you want to know another way to promote your small business nowadays? If you have not tried Facebook marketing strategies in your promotional mix, then you are missing a lot. If you want to take your small business to the next level of your marketing efforts, check out these easy tips on how to do it soon.

You can easily start promoting your products and services on Facebook if you have a profile to identify your business with. That is why it is important that you claim your Facebook profile for your business as soon as possible. You can do this by setting up an email first, dedicated to function as your official email account that will receive all your Facebook updates in the future.

Then you can go to Facebook.com and register for an account. Use the email that you have prepared earlier for registration. If you are using Facebook for business then name the account after your business name instead of using your name as the owner of the business. You can come up with your own account anyway for personal interaction, but since you are after promoting your business then it is best to use your business name for account creation.

Do not forget to upload your profile picture as well. It can be the logo of the business. You can also use your picture as the owner, but most businesses prefer to use their company or business logo instead. Make sure that the photo is of quality to they can clearly see who is the person behind the business or appreciate the logo that you are using for the business instead.

Now you have everything set up, it is time to go further with your Facebook marketing strategies as you invite your clients and list of customers on your page. You can prepare a message that will pop up on your blog and will direct them to your Facebook page if they click on it. Or you can simply announce on your website that you are already in Facebook and invite them to press the like button and follow your business profile on Facebook.

After they follow your Facebook page, you can provide updates on your business by uploading pictures from your product launches, sponsorships and other related events. You can also throw in small promotions and contests to your followers by playing games or answering trivia questions. What’s more, you can even increase your followers by launching a referral bonus giveaway.

These may be small prizes to give at first, but this is nothing compared to the buzz that will circulate on the web about your exciting updates as well as the number of followers that you will get out of those mini-contests. What’s more, you can even ask a professional to come up with your business page on Facebook as part of your Facebook marketing strategies and offer more quick and exciting prizes for those who can follow simple instructions so they can be eligible for giveaways. Just always remember to integrate your Facebook business page to every activity that you will do on your website, to increase the chances of getting more followers and fans.

About this Author

Discover How SEO Mastermind Uses Facebook To Share Great Tips On Search Engine Optimization. Visit http://www.facebook.com/seomastermind Today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Reed_Slidell

For years small business owners have dreamed of number one spots on Google first page of search results for their keywords and for good reason – Google Owned all the traffic.

The illusive fist page rankings is where the money is, the whole idea of getting your website listed in the top search results for your keyword you will get floods of free web traffic/visitors to your website which you can then convert in to sales or place those leads though your sales funnel.

While every small business should be implementing strategies to get their website in the top search results for their keywords, Small business owners also need to be shifting their focus to incorporate the social element of the internet.

Google no longer owns all the traffic on the internet. Facebook that social site that your kids are one all day long has really become a real threat to Google and how people are interacting with the internet.

No before you say that Facebook is only for teenagers and you can’t see your products or services on Facebook, then think again.

Here are 2 very important trends or statistics that every small business owner should care about if they want to do business in the future. (Yes, I believe these is that important)

1. - Facebook now sends more web traffic/visitors to external websites that Google.
2. - Facebook is the largest display ad network on the internet currently.

If you run a retail shop, location is a big element to your success, you wouldn’t open a retail shop in a dead end street where no one goes, this is why shopping malls are so popular, they bring all the shoppers/buyers into one place and you open your shop there where you know where everyone goes to buy stuff.

Facebook is the same, it is the world’s largest free audience and you can tap into this free audience at any time you want.

Also the general nature of Facebook is that content is shared and them spreads virally, this means you can get your message out to a lot of people very quickly and Facebook does 90% of the work for you.

Facebook has already risen to 500 Million active users, of which half of these users login every single day – and they are only 4 years old! If Facebook was a country they would be the 3 largest in the world behind only India and China.

About this Author

If you would like learn proven strategies how to market your local small business on Facebook, generate floods of leads and convert those leads in to paying customers get this FREE report - Facebook Marketing For Small Business

Sam Hopkins helps local small business owners use the internet to increase leads and sales while lowering marketing costs. To get FREE training visit his blog Internet Marketing Small Business

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Hopkins

Following the right people on Twitter is important, but so is unfollowing the wrong people. If you are leading a busy life, you don’t have time to read thousands of tweets per day, particularly when too many tweets come from the same users. Here are some tips that will help you identify who you should unfollow.

 

• Use Twitter Lists. Create lists so that you can categorize and keep track of people who post similar content. There is no need to continue to follow these individuals in your main feed. You can keep certain users on lists and you can check them whenever you want. This will ensure that important tweets don’t get lost in the feed.
• Watch who is unfollowing you. Quitter is a Twitter tool that lets you know who stops following you and when via email alerts. It gives you a chance to consider whether or not you want to continue to follow those people or not.
• Drop inactive accounts. Some people don’t really tweet much and therefore don’t need to be in your main feed. If you notice that you are following someone that hasn’t used their account in months, unfollowing them is a good idea and they probably won’t even notice.
• Monitor your follower-to-following ratio. If you are following a lot more people than are following you, the likelihood of more people following you will be very low. Try to follow a lower number of people than are following you. This way you will not look like a spammer.

 

Generally, you shouldn’t just follow anyone on Twitter. It’s all about building relationships and staying informed. Take as much care in choosing who you stop following as you do when you choose the users that you will follow.

About this Author

By the way, if you’d like to see the coolest Twitter applications on the web, visit My Twitter Toolbox at http://MyTwitterToolbox.com. With more than 250 Twitter tools for productivity and fun, you’ll discover everything you need in one spot to be incredibly effective with Twitter.

If you really want to know how to use Twitter and other social marketing tools, check out this 60-minute audio with four of the top online marketers in the business as they reveal their top strategies for social marketing [http://strategies4socialmarketing.com].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Perdew

If you have a Facebook or Twitter profile, you are probably thinking that social media marketing is easy. After all, you’ve had a lot of practice with your friends, right? Unfortunately social network marketing for small business is a whole new ball game. While you have become accustomed to the basic functionality of your favored social networks, there are different rules for business.

Running a company profile on Facebook and Twitter is so much different from how you run your personal profile. The people who follow you aren’t friends who will be forgiving of the faux pas you commit online. These are people whose opinions matter when it comes to your brand.

Like you, many other small businesses are still feeling their way through this whole new phenomenon. Not everyone has done so successfully. The good thing is, we can learn from those who have gone before us.

Here is some how-to advice on social media marketing that you can apply to your small business. Some of these suggestions are very practical but it always helps to know the fundamentals before you start diving in thing.

So here is my five basic how-to’s for a successful social network marketing campaign:

1. Don’t be in too many networks at once.
As a multitasking small business owner, you’re probably so excited to start social network marketing on Twitter, Plurk, YouTube or Facebook etc etc that you open an account in each of these and start tweeting, plurking, and posting status updates. Yes, that happens to most of us newbies. However, what we all fail to see is that like in real life, it’s simply impossible to be active in all social networking sites at once. And because you can’t…

2. Focus on only one and strengthen your fan base there.
When we multitask, sometimes the quality of our work is sacrificed. That is also how it’s like when we straddle two social networks at one time. The trick is to focus on only one. Know all the ins and outs of that network. Build your fan base there. Engage your followers, post regular updates, run a contest. Once you have established a strong fan base, you can rest easy and let someone else take over while you build another base in another social network.

3. Get someone to represent your brand.
If you have a brand ambassador, it helps to have that person moderate or manage your social media profile by posting status updates, asking a question, or running a contest. Find a person that your fans can relate to. People don’t easily trust a brand unless they are familiar with the person behind the logo.

4. Let the real you shine.
Don’t be a put-on. Your fans will know if you’re faking it. Social media is all about engaging people, getting to know them, sharing your thoughts-building relationships. You can’t build a relationship based on something that isn’t real.

5. Participate.
Remember that you’re not the only one out there. There are other social media marketers who are working to further their brands. Go and start a conversation with others. Network the way you would offline. Ask questions. You will find that you’ll learn a lot about improving your brand — and not just about social media marketing — by engaging those around you in real conversations.

A social network is also, in some ways, a social situation — and the way we treat other people has an impact on how we are viewed. Being kind, nice, and polite will take you a long way down the social network marketing trail, and maybe you’ll find that by being so, you won’t be trudging down a lonely road.

And I don’t want to scare you, but you need to know that once you write it on social networks, it is out there forever. So be kind and thoughtful in your posts.

About this Author

Bronwyn delivers a practical and hands on knowledge to deliver basic principles in a format that can be easily understood and adapted to business needs – and more importantly, principals that can improve your business cash flow. Bronwyn has developed a serious of workshops and courses to help small business with marketing using big business principles. Best of all she shows you how to market your small business using little or no money. Get your free report on how to market with little or no money for small businesses at http://www.bronwynwhite.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bronwyn_J_White