SOCIAL MEDIA & ONLINE REVIEWS = PEOPLE POWER

A Nielsen Study reported 92% of consumers trust recommendations from family and friends over all other advertising.  The power of a personal referral or testimonial can be a crucial factor when someone is making a purchasing decision.  So how do you get your clients telling the world how amazing your products, services or expertise are?


Social Media
Social media is the new word of mouth advertising.  With Facebook recently hitting one billion users, many of whom log in three to fourteen times every day, the "Like" and "Share" buttons are quickly becoming a brands best friend to reaching a larger audience.  Social media provides a more casual forum to share content more often with users who have already indicated interest in your business by joining or following your feed.    

Another distinct advantage Facebook has over many other social media platforms is the accessibility and ease of sharing from mobile devices, which continues to drive increasing numbers of users to "check-in" at local businesses when finding a minute of boredom, waiting in line, or walking the street... (excuse me!)


Online Reviews
Savvy consumers are investigating local businesses now more than ever through sites such as Yelp and Google+.   These are likely qualified leads about to make a purchasing decision based upon your previous customers experiences, and your last chance to convince them that your company is a reputable, accessible and superior alternative to the competition.

Incentives, online surveys and QR codes directing your customers to review sites are great low-cost ways to generate a wealth of positive online brand endorsement before you're scrambling to bury the one bad review that someone (inevitably) posts.


Just ask!
Write a letter to your top ten clients asking for a personal endorsement; ask customers at the end of each appointment or delivery if they would endorse your brand with an online review (having an iPad handy is a smart move in this situation).  You can also create a postcard or insert to be mailed out with each invoice or statement, directing customers on where to share their experiences on.  You can then feature these testimonials on your website, post to social media, and include on print media to tell everyone how great your company is- without having to say a word.



For reviews on my company, dream ink, click around our website to read a few:
dream ink Creative Page Review

Or click the link below to a few others on our Google+ page!
dream ink Google+ Page

Join our Facebook fans for exclusive deals and techniques not posted on our website!
dream ink Facebook Page

WEBONOMICS

The internet has revolutionized business and advertising by connecting over 1.97 BILLION users worldwide, who all have a product, service or story to share. While traditional print, radio and television ads may have been the most efficient methods for reaching your larger audience in the past, having a user-friendly and visually stunning website may now be the most affordable and effective medium to promote your brand.
How will your business benefit from investing in an online marketing campaign?


• Have your product or service found among the 91 MILLION Google searches performed each day.

• Reach your target audience among 1.8 BILLION registered e-mails by optimizing demographic and psychographic data to procure lists for e-mail marketing.

• Interact daily with over 600 MILLION users on Facebook, generate a Fan base and drive traffic to your website.

• Integrate QR codes in your advertising and appeal to 45 MILLION smartphone users- and growing each year!


Launching your site is only the first step in developing a strong online presence. Being relevant to Googles Ranking Algorithm will require keyword research, search engine optimization and regularly updated content. By incorporating social media, print-to-web materials with Personalized URL's or custom flash drives with pre-loaded information will make your information even more accessible and help consistently drive traffic to your site.

Next week: the "write" promotional product makes all the difference!