Reconsidering the Value of Social Marketing
I was sick of responding to the seemingly endless ‘friend requests’, mostly from internet marketers whose idea of friendship was to spam the heck out of my account with sales messages. I wasn’t particularly keen to waste my time reading the ‘let’s get together, baby’ messages or viewing scantily clad women. Duh.
Overall, I just wasn’t seeing the value of these social networking sites — but to be fair, I wasn’t really actively participating to make them work to my advantage, either.
The video I watched this morning has me reconsidering the value of using social media sites as a marketing tool, however.
The 50 minute video “Social Marketing - There Are No Secrets” video by Don Crowther is the latest one in StomperNet’s “Going Natural” series, which are some of the best quality production videos I’ve seen in the Internet marketing arena — not to mention entertaining and informative.
Don got my attention right from the start of the video by saying, “Forget SEO!“, a statement about search engine optimization that echoes the opinion I’ve always held and shared with my readers.
He also explains how you can still get ‘first mover advantage‘ if you start using social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace and social bookmarking sites such as Digg and StumbleUpon now — and estimates that the window of opportunity on this marketing channel will start to close within the next 12 to 18 months.
The video shows how the Stompernet boys managed to claim the first 8 PAGES on Google (yes, pages, not listings) through social media marketing.
OK, that opened my eyes to the possibilities of using Web 2.0 (a.k.a. social networking, social marketing, social media) sites to build traffic and sales for your online business.
Don also shows results from research studies that demonstrates how traffic from social networking sites is actually more valuable than traffic we might get from ppc and other marketing techniques. Nice…
I think it’s a worthwhile view and have posted the video below for you to view. Access to the other StomperNet videos is available through the playlist on video player. The Stompernet boys are also giving away a free 33-page social marketing strategy guide called “SMARTS”.
Watch it… you might find yourself reconsidering or adopting the social media marketing strategy it you do. 
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Worms, theatre and hockey pucks…
The January issue of “Secrets To Their Success” features…
- Ken C. sold enough worms, crickets, and frozen rodents last year to pull in $600,000 in revenues… and he figures his critters will take him to the $1 MILLION mark this year!
- Silas L. couldn’t afford to build the brick-and-mortar store of his dreams seven years ago — but now he can, thanks to a theatre-themed website that earns bravos… AND $225,000 a year!
- And this month’s STTS website review shows a site for a respected hockey goaltenders’ school how to score high on the ‘Net.
Each and every month “Secrets To Their Success” features 2 inspirational web business success stories and one website makeover from which you can learn EXACTLY how these unlikely Internet entrepreneurs do it as well as “steal” their strategies and duplicate their success!”
An STTS subscription also gives you a chance to win $5,000+ in FREE consulting — just by entering your name and email address! Once each month, they draw the name of one lucky member who gets their web site or business plan critiqued by the Internet Marketing Center team.
Sign up for “Secrets To Their Success” today to learn and be inspired by the success of others.
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Poll: How Many Web Sites Do You Operate?
Do you focus all your Internet marketing energy on just one site or blog or are you an SEO with 100 or more sites?
Answer the question in the poll below…
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Poll: What is Your Biggest Internet Marketing Challenge?
In order to more effectively help you build a better Internet marketing business in 2008, please take the following “What is Your Biggest Internet Marketing Challenge?” poll.
Please expand your answers by adding a comment below. For example, if you checked “no website, no blog, no nothing yet”, please explain your difficulty with getting a web site online.
I will do my best to align the topics of upcoming posts and articles in accordance with the majority of responses received.
Let’s make 2008 your best and most prosperous year yet!
Cheers,
Ros
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Happy 2008 and Happy Anniversary!
Well, here it is, 2008 already.
Although I’m always amazed at how quickly the time flies from one year to the next, I’m particularly amazed that this January 1st, I’m celebrating the 10th anniversary of doing business online.
Yes, it was 10 years ago today, during a very early morning chat room session, that I decided to start my dating service review site, Sage-Hearts.com, which was supposed to make the Internet a better, more enjoyable place for singles looking for partners online.
I registered the domain name on January 7th, 1998 and received my first affiliate commission check for $10.99 early in February 1998. Talk about excited… I could barely contain my glee when that check arrived in the mail.
Alot of checks have since arrived and although I may no longer jump for joy when they come in, the game of making money online is still as much fun as it ever was — especially when I’m in the process of spending the proceeds while travelling and then making even more when I’m travel blogging. Who woulda thunk it, eh?
My greatest enjoyment however, has always come from helping others… whether it be in their pursuit of a partner, online business building, or other interests that we share. No check will ever compare with receiving an email or card that says ‘Thank You! You changed my life!’. That’s the truly fun and rewarding part of this business… big checks are just a very nice byproduct.
So, which business anniversary will you be celebrating in 2008?
Are you having fun doing business online and which aspects do you specifically enjoy? Do you like the day-to-day processes of the business itself, getting the checks in the mail or is it what you do with those checks that gives you the most pleasure?
Please share your experience to inspire others who may just be starting out or haven’t yet discovered the joys of Internet and Affiliate marketing.
Happy New Year!
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