7 Tips - How to Generate Funds From Social Forums / Media

Do you know what social media marketing is? Do you know how to go about making money using networking?
Before you can make money using something you need to know what it is. First you have to educate yourself on the subject then you can start to make money.
What is social media marketing?
Social Media Marketing is the art of using Social Media Platforms as marketing tools to market, promote and sell your products or services on and offline.
Social Media Marketing is a creative way to communicate, socialize, network, befriend, and chat with your existing and potential customers.
Social media marketing is promoting and trying to sell your product or service on social media/networking sites. Examples of social networking sites are Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, People String, etc.
Other forms of social platforms are blogging and forums. Blogging enables you to write about your products and reach thousands of people. Forums give you a chance to link your website or blog with similar sites. Forums let you tell others about your products. You get to talk to people and create relationships with them by answering their questions on forum related issues and your products.
How do you make money networking?
1. Build Yourself A Website or Blog:
You can not benefit from social networks if you don't have a well designed website or blog. The website is your online office or shop where your visitors from social networks come to view your work, products or services. It is important to have a well designed website.
2. Have links to your website on many different kinds of social Websites:
This will potentially increase traffic to your website resulting in many more customers hence resulting in an increase in sales.
If you are doing this for internet business reasons it can lead to you making money.
With so many different forms of marketing on the Internet, making money with social media is an easy and fast way to get in front of potential customers. There is no reason you could not start a new blog and be getting 500 visitors a day in less than 2 months if you work at it.
3. Carry Out Your Own Social Media Research:
Different Social Networks have different memberships from the others. Therefore it's advisable to carry out a thorough research to find out which social platforms are suitable to your product or service marketing and promotion. You do not want to be in the wrong market place.
To find out more about making money with social platforms you need to further your research and decide which social media sites are best for you and the customers that you are trying to reach.
4. Educate yourself On The Proper Use Of Social websites:
You can find many websites online that offer excellent training on social media including blogs, forums, e Books, and videos. Learn as much as you can to muster the workings of social media especially in the marketing of products and services.
5. Work Hard At It:
To make money with social networks you have to work hard at it all of the time, just like any other form of internet marketing. If you are willing to do this you can start and run any business you want online and use social media to promote it.
6. The Future of Marketing is in Social Networks:
Growing your brands market share will be won or lost on social platforms. According to a study by Unisfair, here is - 2010 Marketing Mix:
a) Social Media................................................75%
b) Web Search/SEO...........................................51%
c) Email Campaigns...........................................49%
d) Virtual Events...............................................48%
e) Online Advertising..........................................28%
7. Have Clear Objectives For What You Want to Accomplish With Social Media:
For example:
a) Create brand awareness through a strong fan base and social channel opt-ins
b) Incentive users to engage with your brand on a regular basis
c) Convert new customers and drive increase in sales
8. Make Use Of Contests and Competitions (which are viral by nature) To Drive Traffic:
This is a sure way to keep traffic flowing to your website especially if there are prizes to be won. The effect of this is:
- Hundreds of thousands of Unique Page views
- Sustained high level of Brand engagement by all measurements
- Significant, continued growth in your Brands Social CRM and social channel opt-ins
It is important to start working on your social networking connections to grow your clientele base. The money will be made through smart use of social platforms as marketing, promotion and selling tools for your products and services.

Social Media Marketing Mistakes

Social media is about interaction, and if I've said this once, I've said it at least a hundred times: social media is about interacting! When you interact, you create relationships; when you create these relationships, you create opportunities to share your products and services. This doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, consistency, and a genuine interest in the creation and nurturing of those relationships. If you aren't willing to do that, then hire a consultant that will do it for you; and if you aren't willing to do that, then don't do it at all.

There is not a standard list of rights and wrongs when it comes to social media, but there is one thing that is constant: no matter what industry you are in, do it badly and you will destroy your reputation within the social media realm. You can save your reputation by minding your manners.

Social Media Marketing No-Nos

1. It's not all about you, interact.  Get to know others; don't just try to sell and promote your products. It won't work.
2. Spamming is not ok, ever. It's true that spamming is becoming a problem in the social media networks, and we are being required to weed through it, just like we do in our email inboxes. Don't spam followers; if they didn't ask for it, don't send it. It's that simple! Permission marketing is key.
3. Inconsistency will lead to failure. You must be consistent when it comes to using social media. Participating once a month or once a week just won't get the results you desire.
4. Don't be a social media snob. Obviously social marketing is about being social; be willing to learn from others, and this isn't just about others in your industry.
5. Want followers?  You will have to be a follower. Just like you can't open a storefront and think that customers will just show up, you cannot sign up and start off in social media thinking everyone is just going to come and follow you. You must be a follower. Social marketing isn't about flying solo, participate.

It's important to realize that social media marketing does work, but as with any marketing strategy, there are the core pieces of that strategy that you must implement. You must find the right social media marketing vehicles that will work for you and your industry, as well as design the campaigns that will present you with the results that you desire. It is a low to no-cost marketing option, but you will need to invest your time. If you are not willing to do that, consider selecting another marketing option or outsourcing your social media marketing with a company that can help you create and implement your social media marketing strategy. If you decide to outsource, just be sure to select a company or a consultant that has an idea of what they are doing.

Become Your Own BOSS

The Nigerian society is littered with Unemployed graduates roaming the streets and still looking for “white collar” jobs. We have too many graduates from Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and our Universities waiting to get paid jobs and every following year; more and more thousands of vibrant and intelligent Nigerian youth join them in the Labour market. The whole system is in the business of creating graduates but the system does not create New Jobs.

As Nigerian, we are a happy and strong people. We cannot sit down and allow our generation to be wasted by the so called “elites” whose only concern is to enrich their own pockets. We must take our destiny into our own hands.

Every Nigerian youth will have to choose/decide for himself or herself; what are your dreams and aspirations, what targets have you placed for yourself and what do you intend to achieve by the end of this year? I am pleased and most delighted to announce to the whole world that such dreams as you have, can come through. But first of all, you need to be focused and set your own targets.

I hear some banks pay contract staff (marketers) (graduates), N30 000 (thirty thousand naira) as monthly salary for roaming the streets, opening accounts and trying to achieve huge money targets set by the banks only for the enrichment of these banks. Imagine if you were doing this same kind of job (marketing and promotions) for yourself, for your own business and you can earn as high as N500 000 (five hundred thousand naira), 800 000 (eight hundred thousand naira) or even 1.5 million naira monthly; all for doing the same kind of job you were paid N30 000 (thirty thousand naira) only that this time you are doing it for yourself.

A lot of people believe they don’t have enough financial capital to begin their own business as they would want it. But there is something we all have, which is an important element to begin a business. We all have it “SOCIAL CAPITAL”, the basic ingredient to make the kind of money I spoke about earlier on monthly basis. Even the people you might call “THE POOR”, they all have Social Capital but the difference is; we do not all understand what it is and most of all we are not making use of it.

Business men and women who understand the basic principle of Leveraging on Social Capital, are making millions every year by doing the same job you might be doing only that they are doing it wisely. The good book says “For you shall know the truth and the truth will make you free”. Knowledge is the KEY.

If you are tired of being jobless, if you are tired of doing things the usual way and not having positive results financially, if you want to learn how to leverage on your Social Capital and earn legitimately; Join us for our FREE 1 hour Seminar.

Date:              Saturday 12^th March, 2011.

Venue:           Fountain Heights School, 60 Adelabu Street, Surulere, Lagos.

Time:              4:00pm – 5:00pm prompt.

Inviter:          Nonso
Or
Send Mail to:  caesarng1@gmail.com for Reservations.