Webinars and Social Media

Seminars are the bread and butter of the academic and business environment. They are fantastic learning and sales tools, but they do also have some disadvantages. Attendees must often travel-- sometimes long distances--to be able to participate. Seminars can only be attended by a finite number of participants.

However, technology has changed all that with the advent of the webinar. And, not only are webinars making seminars more affordable and accessible than ever, they are also becoming a key ingredient in social media platforms and Internet Marketing strategies.

Benefits & Advantages

So, what exactly is a webinar? Don’t just think of it as simply a seminar given online. Webinars are extremely cost-effective because participants can join in from literally anywhere in the world, and there’s no limit to how many people can participate. Webinars are also an opportunity to connect with current clients and potential customers in a social and interactive way. It is also an ideal means of presenting engaging, quality content that goes way beyond the simple sales pitch.

An effective webinar not only creates a connection with clients, but it also reinforces branding. During a webinar, potential customers can be given a “behind the scenes” view of a particular product or service as well as engage in live Q&A sessions with business owners and/or product developers. Webinars can be a creative showcase for tutorials and product demonstrations as well as promotional events, contests, and testimonials.

Making the Connection

By their very nature, webinars are a form of social media and, as such, create a natural fit in a social media platform. Webinars can be presented on YouTube, your company’s website and blog, and on social networks. It’s important to have a copy of your webinar available for convenient viewing by those who weren’t able to participate live. It’s also a good idea to have a written transcript of the webinar available. Archives of previous webinars and transcripts can be a potential resource for customers and, as a result, serve as an asset for your business.

A blog is an especially valuable tool for webinar promotion and success. Denise Wakeman, a business blogger and online marketing advisor, suggests using your blog to not only promote your webinar, but it can also be used to conceptualize webinar topics in the first place. Ask your readers what’s important to them and what they’d like to see in a webinar. Find out their concerns and use your webinar to demonstrate how your product or service can provide solutions. Be sure to promote your webinar not only on your blog, but also gain publicity for it through every appropriate social media outlet available. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, can help quickly spread the word by giving potential customers easy access to your webinar through a link.

Your Experience

How have you used webinars and social media in your marketing strategy? Please share your experiences in the comments below. Or, if you have questions on how you can incorporate it in your strategy, we’ll be glad to show you how it can work for you.

           

                    

Custom Facebook Fan Pages – The How and Why of a Social Media Must

The importance of a custom Facebook fan page, as part of any business’s marketing strategy, is obvious. A creative and cleverly designed fan page can promote brand recognition and increase brand loyalty as well as ramp up sales by driving increased traffic to a business’s website. However, what might not be quite so obvious is the how and why of Facebook fan pages.

Feedback

A list of “20 Awesome Facebook Fan Pages” as posted on Inc.com consistently showed several key components that are – and should be -- a part of what makes a Facebook fan page a successful business tool. Again and again, useful customer feedback was listed as one of the most crucial elements of a Facebook fan page. Customer suggestions, requests, and comments often led to product improvements or even new products that in turn resulted in higher sales. Negative feedback was helpful as well, enabling businesses to immediately rectify a complaint and return to the status of excellent customer service.

Contact

Another important aspect of why and how custom Facebook fan pages are so effective is communication. On Facebook, communication between businesses a or business owner and a customer can be instantaneous. Responding as quickly and as personably as possible to individual customer comments goes a long way toward building a “one-on-one” relationship that fosters a sense of community and builds brand loyalty.

Community

Before a business opens, the Facebook fan page is the perfect opportunity to pique interest, build hype, and introduce products or services. Starting conversations within the fan page community helps customers understand the company’s tale and gives customers a chance to contribute their own stories. Posting promotions and information, leading up to the opening of a new business, helps build a passionate community that will continue to grow after that business opens.

Community is the heart and soul of social media. Customers are able to connect not only with a business, but they can also connect with one another – and do so in a comfortable environment. This type of connection can become truly meaningful for both the business and the customer. "We've gained insight, support, suggestions, inspiration, and friends from our Facebook page," said Susan Webster Adams, CEO and co-founder of Candles Off Main, a Maryland-based specialty retailer that features luxury candles and home fragrances.

Traffic

The ongoing communication on a Facebook fan page may start with something as simple as an unsolicited testimonial. However, a social media campaign is all about directing traffic to the main site, and that’s exactly what those testimonials do. The power of those testimonials combined with the rest of the advantages of the fan page make Facebook competitive with direct visits and Google as a referring site. That makes a Facebook fan page an invaluable asset to any business.

Getting Started

Whether you are still unsure of how or what to do or you just don’t feel like you have the time to commit to creating and managing a Facebook fan page, companies like Flyline Search Marketing can take care of it for you as a standalone service or as a larger, more comprehensive Internet Search Marketing strategy designed to get you attention and business through the various online channels available. Leave a comment below or contact us directly to learn more.