Get new customers by invading ‘social media’

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Looking for new customers?

They're probably online flitting from one social networking site to another.

Industry watchers say that 214 million Americans use the Internet and 87 percent visit some of the countless social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, MySpace, SlideShare, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Twitter.

Maybe it's time that your company goes where the people are and convert some of them into customers.

Dave Saunders, president and chief information officer at Madison+Main, a new media and advertising agency in Richmond, and other speakers at a recent seminar gave some tips on getting started.

"You can't tiptoe into social media," Saunders said.

"You have to jump into the pool," he said. "People have a natural fear of it. But the scary part is not being there. Your customer is already there."

Small-business owner Ric Withers of Wythken Printing in Richmond said, "It is the most effective way to get new customers."

Here's how to get started:

• Learn the lingo. "Social media" and "new media" refer to a technology-rich, highly interactive and creative online marketing channel made up of social networking sites, virtual worlds, blogging, slidesharing, photosharing, online videos, podcasting, wikis and other strange-sounding media applications.

• Choose the right social network. "Start with one or two," said Ryan Deal, a director at the Annapolis, Md.-based Cyphers Agency. "I recommend Twitter. It is super easy to jump into and can be used for any reason businesswise."

If your goal is to attract and make business contacts, join LinkedIn, Deal said. "Decide which network can help you reach your goals."

Go to the network, sign in and start interacting with people. Engage them in conversation, but don't make a direct sales pitch. That's taboo.

The idea is to drive people to your Web site where you can make some sales.

Audiences are different on different social networks, Saunders noted.

• Use the new media in conjunction with your traditional media campaign.

Businesses shouldn't stop advertising in traditional media, including newspapers or television, Saunders said. "This is a part of the marketing mix."

• Get ready to converse. Social media is people talking to people, Withers said.

Every day, tens of millions of people worldwide are talking about every topic under the sun on social media sites. Maybe somebody is talking about how good or bad your business is.

Join the dialogue and learn to make conversation about yourself and your business.

• Use the plethora of new media tools.

They're free.

Esri.com/communitytapestry can help you analyze your target audience so you can market more effectively.

Quantcast.com tells where your target audience goes online.

Alexa.com describes the top 500 Internet sites, lets you locate Web sites by topic, and charts the traffic of several sites simultaneously.

Googleanalytics.com helps you optimize your Web site, track customers and analyze conversions, or credit-card transactions.

Google.com/trends tells the latest trends so your business can try to cash in on them.

• Shape up your Web site. "That is your house in cyberspace," Saunders said. "That is your storefront. If it's bad, ugly and confusing, no one will buy your product."

"You want to get people's attention," said Joshua Barber, creative director at Madison+Main. "You have to be creative to get people to know what you are doing."

Allow people to comment on your Web page, too, Barber said. Also, make sure that your site can be seen on mobile screens, Saunders said.

Search engine optimization is critical. When people do a search using, say, Google or Yahoo, the goal is to have good keywords that will get your company listed on the first results page, said Jason Moreau of NetSearchDirect in Henrico County. People rarely click past that page to the thousands of other results.

Contact Iris Taylor at (804) 649-6349 or .