Lets start with how a Blog can keep your website fresh.  When you go to the grocery store you expect fresh new produce right?  Well if your clients visit your unchanging aka static brochure type website they won’t find any new fresh content and soon they will stop visiting your site.  This is one reason so many small business websites fail to perform as desired.

Having a static site is better than not having a site at all, but it is difficult to rank well in the search engines because you are not adding new content.

Search engines are only one part of the equationwhen it comes to web traffic.  Social Media sites like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter have strategies that can be used to promote and drive traffic to  websites but most of these strategies are dependent on the availability of an RSS feed (Real Simple Syndication).

Do you want a way to build relationships or create conversation with your clients and potential clients?  Blogs are relationship building tools. Blogs invite comments your readers can ask questions, give raving reviews, or even submit a complaint.  Complaints can be a great opportunity for a business owner to provide fabulous customer service.

Do you like referrals, Blogs create that word of mouth action.  Blogging helps local businesses create conversation with clients and stay in the view of their customers.

Do I have to be a geek to blog?  No blogs are easy to use and require no special training.
If you can write an email you can post to a blog. If you can attach a photo to an email, you can include a picture in a blog post.

Blogs are simple to optimize for search engines. When your blog is set up right it has built in search engine optimization features that help guide you as you add new content to incorporate the local terms (keywords) that will help your site rank well in search engines.

I look forward to helping you become part of the blogosphere!  My choice in blogging platforms is “WordPress.org”

For small business that are interested in the power of social media the following is accessable:  increasing referrals, develop trust, retain clients, be more available, and socialable

By participating in social media small businesses can build their online reputation no matter what type of business or professional service they are the above is an option for them.

Now that you know, social media is for your small business are you wondering where to start?

The first thing to do is define your social media  goals, have a strategy before you start.  How do you define goals or come up with a strategy when you don’t completely understand how social media marketing  works?  With an effective social media assessment you will be able to identify the appropriate starting point and direction for you and your business.  You will also be able to measure your ROI’s Return on Influence and Return on Investment.  This is where someone like myself comes into play, as a Social Media Marketing Virtual Assistant this is one of my favorite things to do.

Above all don’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back from participating in Social Media Marketing.  After all what is FEAR?  “False Evidence Appearing Real” – Ilene Meckely