What Does it Take to Get Results from Social Media Marketing?

I asked more than a hundred local businesses if they were using social media to market their business and more than half (68%) of them said they were!

Good news, right?

But then I saw why many weren't seeing the results they expected--four out of 10 were only investing 1 hour or less on all their social media efforts combined.

So what does it really take to get results from social media marketing? Here's a quick list:

• A website optimized for search engines so your prospects can find you before they find your competitors

• Landing pages where you can quickly exchange contact information in exchange for offers, discounts, valuable information, free trials, free tools or other material your prospects need before working with you

• An online newsletter and/or business blog to support your SEO efforts and give reasons for people to link to you. (There are other reasons why a business blog supports your sales process.)

• THEN Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but ONLY to promote your newsletter and blog (because you need to build subscribers).

Do you see how all of this requires more than 1 hour a week to be successful?

Most people jump into Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn because they are easy to do and there's no cost to get started (besides your time, of course).

Every business needs to be involved in social networks because they help build brand awareness, lets your sales team connect with prospects, supports trusted referrals and fills the pipeline to support your other marketing efforts (you DO have other marketing efforts, right?).

But Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are not going to be your primary source for sales leads and new business. Your blog and email newsletter will be. If lead generation through your website is your goal, then you need to focus on your newsletter and business blog first.

Here's why.

If a prospect finds you on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, they're going to want to learn more about you, right? Is that person going to want to go to your home page and read about products they can buy from you? Usually not.

In the early stages your prospects want to know more about you. What makes you special? What do you stand for as a brand? What value can you offer? How are you going to solve thier problems and make their life better? Your blog and newsletter are where your expertise can shine. So you need to start your business blog and email newsletter BEFORE you invest time in Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Make sense?

And that's why when you look at the 2011 Social Media Marketing Report you'll see why people who are reaping the most business rewards are spending more than 10 hours a week on their efforts. They are investing in email marketing, creating valuable content, building relationships and following up with prospects as part of an established sales process.

So remember, it's not just about spending an hour or less on Facebook and Twitter. It's about:

1. Helping your website get found
2. Converting more website visitors into subscribers
3. Consistently providing valuable information over time in ways that will help your prospects think of you when they have a need for your services
4. Measuring your efforts for effectiveness
5. Doing more of what works and less of what doesn't

Over time these efforts will have a compounding and cumulative effect. You'll see growth in traffic and an increase in the number of leads you get each month from your website.

So don't ignore your website and jump into Facebook or Twitter without first spending time on your newsletter or blog. Make them work together as part of an integrated marketing strategy.

If you don't know where to start, consider going through my Social Media Boot Camp for Small Business or contact me for a personalized consultation.