There are two reasons why social media should be part of your marketing strategy: 1. It's trusted 2. It's cheap In part 1 of "How to Create Cheap, Trusted Marketing" we're going to delve deeper into "It's trusted" and show you how you can start reaching out to the people who influence social media. Social Media is More Trusted Now than Ever In Edelman's 2008 Trust Barometer report, they found that "Social Networkers" are the most trusted source for information about a company or product. SNs are people who frequently speak out about companies and products, do independent research, and want companies to know what they have to say. Social Media is flourishing because of the perceived trust in SNs. Social Media allows SNs easy access to a wide audience, allows them to easily research and disseminate ideas, and allows them to use multiple channels to reach an audience. If you want to change public opinion about your product, a Social Networker is the place to start.  But remember, these people got to their positions by being savvy, and won't likely fall for marketing speak. How to Approach a Social Networker:

1. Find the Right One - Find the Right Person - Find an SN that cares about the kinds of products or companies you care about.  Look for SNs that are active across multiple platforms (blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace).  You want to find someone that actively creates and shares information, has a wide audience, and who elicits active response from the people they are networked to.
2. Be Enthusiastic and Genuine - SNs got where they are by helping people steer clear of marketing BS. If you don't have a genuine love for the product you're sharing, it's going to be difficult to sway them.  Use specific stories, and relevant data when talking to SNs.  Give them the information, and let them decide for themselves.
3. Be Active with the SN and Their Community - If you found an SN that is right for your product, you should already be participating and engaging them.  Even before you approach them with your product or company, you should build up trust as someone who cares enough to participate, even when you don't have anything to gain.

How do you use social media to promote your business or product?  What are some methods that have helped your site succeed?  Leave a comment below. P.S. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss Part 2, The Cheap Part!

Tags: ecommerce marketing, social media

This entry was posted on Monday, January 19th, 2009 at 4:56 pm and is filed under Email Marketing, General E-commerce, Marketing, Web Traffic. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.