Social Media for Business -interview series presents prominent Internet professionals from all over the world who are at the cutting edge of the latest Social Platforms. During this exciting and truly international interview series our experts reveal what are the most useful Social Media Tools and what you need to consider when you start using Social Media as part of your marketing mix.
Shannon Shubert is a Social Media Marketing Expert from SanDiego California USA. Shannon brings Social Media to small businesses all the way up to fortune 100 companies teaching them how to use Web 2.0 to save time, energy and money in free tools through social media online. Her proven techniques have saved several companies hundreds and thousands of dollars in advertising dollars.
Q1. What are the most important Social Media platforms at the moment?
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, A Blog, Friendfeed and Feedburner.
Q2. What social media platforms would you recommend to a company that is just starting their online marketing?
I would recommend Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (or some media site), A Blog, Friendfeed, Feedburner, Google Profile and Linkedin
Q3. What are the key points to remember when a business starts using Social Media?
Communication and personal responsibility, integrity, humility and being humble in business is the most important key things to remember when dealing with business on social media and networking. The difference between social media and social networking is social media is the “content” we put on our sites, and “social networking” is the relationship and communication we are building through the “content” we put on the sites. It is creating “balance”. We don’t want to ONLY put business. Be personal, open, about ourselves. This will bring us more business than we realize. Especially when we also get to know more about others and their lives outside of business.
Q4. How does Social Media Marketing differ from traditional marketing?
Social Marketing just allows us to reach more people faster, where traditional “belly up” marketing we had to meet people in a group. Set the meeting up, though it was more personal and in person, now we get to reach thousands more people faster, daily, by phone, email, online. It also allows us to share “content” daily even in our “sleep” creating leads.
Q5. Do you think every company (that has a website) should have a Social Media Strategy? Why?
YES! Frank Kern said it best! in the “State of the Internet Address” (http://masscontrolsite.com/blog/?p=65) “The next decade we are facing single biggest wave of wealth on the internet for business. We are a Global National Community.” “The rest of the World is Coming Our Way!” All businesses will be online in the next 10 years. This is why I’m a JV with GrowYourBusinessEasily.com which helps every business from brick and mortar to home businesses with online and websites and social media. Businesses are finally understanding what it means to get online. Not just getting a website, but also using social media and networking sites. And if they don’t, they will fall behind. Because the internet is NOT a fad and neither is social media. Plain and simple.
Q6. How do you see Facebook as a Social Media Marketing tool?
Facebook is a great ‘balance for social and marketing. I like to use Facebook to network my businesses but to also use Facebook to be personal and outgoing as possible and this creates a positive balance in business. I also love to use Facebook to help network others in my networks to use the “pay it forward” concept which again creates another valuable balance for me in return. facebook also has many valuable “applications to install to help feed your content from other social media sites to your Facebook helping create a “viral” effect and leaving facebook to be the MAIN platform if you wish.
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Kris Olin, MSc (Econ.) * Editor in Chief at Social Media Revolver * Web Designer * SEO Specialist * Author of the Facebook Advertising Guide. Follow Kris on Twitter and LinkedIn. See his photos at Flickr.
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