Using the right social media tools will help you engage with more potential clients in less time.

Spending less time on social media means you have more time to spend on your business.

Using social media as a marketing tool and managing your time effectively is key to ensuring that your online marketing strategy succeeds long term.

So, what tools can help you manage your social media marketing time more effectively?

NetVibes - a web based RSS reader or news aggregator that makes it simple to keep up on the latest blog posts, news and articles from your favorite websites without requiring you to go to each website to see what is new. A popular alternative to Netvibes is Google Reader.

Hootsuite - a web based (also available as a desktop client) tool that allows you to read and post to your Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and other social media accounts. Hootsuite allows you to stay up to speed on what is going on with your connections, easily search for key topics and post or schedule posts to your favorite social media platforms. A popular alternative to Hootsuite is Tweetdeck.

Bit.ly - the standard in url shortening. Bit.ly sidebar, a simple tool you can load to your bookmarks toolbar in your browser, makes it simple to shorten the urls that you share with your readers. Bit.ly also offers users the ability to track the links they share and determine how many people have clicked on your links. There are a number of popular alternatives to Bit.ly including Hootsuite's ow.ly and Google's goo.gl url shortening tools.

Stock Photo Exchange - one of the most extensive free photo sites online. There are a number of paid alternatives such as iStock Photo that may work a bit better, although none of the FREE alternatives are as easy or as extensive as Stock Photo Exchange.

Google Alerts - a web based tool that allows you to monitor various search terms, such as your business name, and track when and where you are mentioned online. Knowing where you are mentioned is crucial in being able to address your customers and prospects. A popular alternative to Google Alerts is Yahoo Alerts.

For more information about how to effectively engage with your target market make sure to check out these articles.

To "Follow" people on Twitter?

The best places to find FREE pictures to use for your blog posts.

5 Reasons Your Business Needs to be On Facebook.

These are my top tools for social media success.  Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite social media marketing tools are.

When someone follows you on Twitter do you follow them back?

It is one of those social media questions that generates strong opinions. I asked some people this question earlier today and got some interesting responses:

"Since we are talking "social media" you want to follow back someone who follows you so that you can possibly forge some social relationship or connection."

"Why? I only want to follow people I am interested in."

"Absolutely! It would be rude not to follow someone back. I mean, we are not talking about a real commitment here. It is about potential connections."

"It seems like the right thing to do, yes."

"Me? Nope."

OK, no consensus in the office. My research is, admittedly, not exactly scientific. What about some of the more popular "Tweeters?"

I took a look at the Top 100 Twitter Users (based on followers) on Twitaholic, each of the Top 100 Twitter Users have more than 1.5 million followers yet none of these users follow more than a few 100,000 (at most). Maybe if you are trying to amass the most followers, "re-following" is not important. Then again, how many of us are truly trying to simply amass as many followers as possible?

I'll admit it - after "tweeting" for just over 90 days I still get a smile on my face when I see that I have new Twitter followers. At the same time, I realize that the number of Twitter followers that I have is not necessarily what is important. What is important is connections and trust. As such, I have made the choice to follow people that follow me (in addition to those that I choose to follow). I do not have significant connections with each of the people that follow me, although I have made some connections that have allowed me to expand my business and increase my knowledge. To me, that is what makes following my followers worth it.

How about you? Do you follow your Twitter followers? If so why? If not, why not? Comment or tweet me @jonathanmast

Your success online has everything to do with the quality and remarkability of the content you have on your website and on your social media profiles like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube. Here are 5 simple tips to help you create compelling content.

1 - Keep it simple
2 - Make it relevant to your reader
3 - Give your content a different spin - keep it original
4 - Take a stand - set parameters for what you will and will not do or say
5 - Get your employees involved

If you create remarkable content for your website and social media profiles you WILL get exposure and more opportunity to engage with your customers and prospects.  More engagement leads to more profits and that is good for everyone.

My newphew can do it for me and I'll save money.

The infamous words of many a small business owner and a few brides. Do you know someone who trusted their nephew and lived to regret it?

• 10 years ago they trusted their nephew to design the business cards and brochure for their business.  Nephew was good at using computers.  Nephew said he knew what to do and would work for pizza.

• 5 years ago they trusted their nephew to design the website for their business.  Nephew was good at using computers, no one complained about the brochure or the business cards - not counting your significant other. Nephew would work for pizza.

• Today they trust their nephew to design and manage their social media marketing.  Nephew knows more about Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube. Nephew still works for pizza.

Unfortunately trusting your nephew to manage one of the key aspects of your organizations growth is, at a minimum, short sighted.

Who do you know who is "trusting" their nephew to grow their business? Your website and social media marketing are some of the most important marketing investments you will make this year. Invest wisely, choose a professional organization such as MMJ Technology to assist you in expanding your business.

And lest I forget - if you are a bride, remember that your nephew (or uncle for that matter) probably is not a great choice as your photographer either. Would you trust something that important to this guy?

Leave a comment and tell us a "nephew horror story."

As a new month begins it is time to look at last months Google Analytic ratings.  At MMJ Technology we have the privilege of doing this for our own site and for many of our client's sites too.  One account snagged our attention today.  The end result was 89.95% more visits to their website! Now for the rest of the story . . .

Beginning the first week of last month (March) we helped this account kick off a new social media marketing campaign involving:

• a new blog
• an updated Facebook Fan page
• increased their interaction with their potential customers via Facebook and Twitter

I won't bore you with the details of the plan. OK, I'd like to bore you and brag a bit; I can't.  We need permission from the client to divulge their results and they are a bit timid about tooting there own horn.  No worries though - I can show you the proof of the increase and I'll make myself available to talk to you about the details. Here is a screen shot (blacked out at the client's request).  Click on the picture for a larger version.

We can do the same thing for your organization. Would you like 89% more visitors by the end of April?  Contact me and I'll tell you how we did it and how we can help you do the same thing.

Call me at 616-457-0300 or send me an email. What could it hurt?  Just think . . . MORE TRAFFIC in 31 days!!

We are brining back our Facebook Fan competition . . . this time with a twist!

HELP us reach 300 Facebook Fans.  Once we reach 300 fans ALL of our Facebook Fans will have a chance to win the $50 gift card.

Need $50 to:

• shop for groceries?
• take your significant other out to dinner?
• buy something special for yourself?

You can win!  Follow these simple steps:

1 - Go to MMJ Technologies Facebook Page and become a fan. (If you are already a fan you can skip this step.)

2 - Click on the SHARE link at the bottom of our Facebook Fan Page posting about the competition, then click on the SHARE button that you see in the window that pops up. This allows you to share this posting with all of your Facebook followers.

3 - If you have a Twitter account, Tweet the following:

Win a $50 gift card from @mmjtech - http://bit.ly/c4AmOu #mmj #socialmedia #giftcard pls rt

Help us today and get your chance to win the $50 gift card sooner. Best of luck!

Twitter posts (tweets) can be 140 characters, right?  What else is there to worry about?

Whether you are a newbie to Twitter or a seasoned pro, one key consideration of your tweets should be re-tweets.

Re-tweets?  Yes, re-tweets.  A re-tweet is when another Twitter user sends your tweet out to their followers.  Doing so is simple and the benefit to you is that your message gets delivered to more people.

"So what?" you are asking, right?  What does the length of our original tweet have to do with re-tweeting?  A lot.  When a tweet is re-tweeted, Twitter automatically appends the message with "RT" and the user name of the original tweeter.  For example, if you decided to re-tweet one of my tweets Twitter would automatically add "RT: @jonathanmast:" to my tweet when you re-tweeted it.  If my original tweet was too long part of it may be cut off when you re-tweet.  That is a BAD THING!

Keep your tweets around 120 to 125 characters - not the max 140.  Your tweets will not get cut off if re-tweeted and your message will get delivered to more eyeballs!

 

Sometimes you just do not know what to write about.  Blogging, Twittering, Facebooking, it seems that you need to write more than the average reporter just to keep in touch with your social media network.  We all run out of ideas and experience writers block on occassion. Here are five sure fire solutions to get those wheels turning and the thoughts rolling out.

1 - StumbleUpon
Enter your interests and spend a few minutes each day discovering new sites.  You will be amazed at the thoughts that start coursing through your mind as you stumble your way around the web.

2 - Google Alerts
What are you interested in? Set up an alert in Google Alerts and wait for Google to deliver the updates to your email or RSS reader.

TIP: If you are searching for a phrase such as MMJ TECHNOLOGY LLC make sure to enter the phrase, as you want it to appear in your results, in quotation marks: "MMJ Technology LLC"

3 - Netvibes
You can use any RSS reader you like, although I prefer Netvibes personally. As you find blogs that are written about topics you like, subscribe to their RSS feeds. Take a few minutes daily to look at the updates that automatically come into your reader.

4 - Tweetdeck
Whether you are a twitter pro or newbie - Tweetdeck is an amazing tool that runs on your desktop and allows you to see the tweets from those you are following along with topics your are interested in.  Tweetdeck also provides a connection to Facebook and Linkedin that makes it absoletly painless for you to keep up on your social networks updates.

5 - BIZIT Blog's Recommended Reading
You will find links to some of the best articles on the web on the BIZIT Blog. We read more so you do not have to read things that are a waste of your time.  Our Recommended Reading list is updated each work day; make it a part of your daily start.

Take a few moments in the morning.  Instead of reading the paper, read your RSS updates in Netvibes, browse your Google Alerts and Stumble for a few minutes to find some new websites. DO NOT miss your coffee - that will not help your writers block, at least not with topics you should write about! Spend a few minutes each day and never run out of things to write about.

Good blogging!

I was at a business networking event the other day and one of the resounding comments I heard from my associates was “Twitter? I just do not get it.” This is a common chorus among small business owners and one that I myself was signing in the past.

Do you want to understand Twitter? Follow these steps:

1 – Setup a Twitter account

2 – Follow some people you know

3 – Go to Twellow and search Twitter for some people interested in the same things you are and follow a handful of them (start out with 20 or less)

4 – Download TweetDeck and use it to “watch” the tweets of the people you follow on Twitter

5 – “Listen” - simply read the tweets from the people you are following and get a feel for how they are using Twitter and how it works.

After a week of “listening” begin posting your own tweets – a few a day is a good place to start. Remember, it all begins with one step.

Tell me about your favorite tweets and feel free to follow us.

Click here to follow MMJ Technology on Twitter

Click here to follow Jonathan Mast on Twitter

"My target market is anyone who wants my product or service."

You've probably heard that . . . maybe even thought it yourself. After all, we want to reach anyone who wants to buy from us, right?  We do want to reach the people that want to buy from us.  The question we need to ask ourselves with social media, as with any other form of marketing, is "who are we trying to reach?"

Studies show that over 70% of the people go online to research a product, service or company before making a purchase decision. That means that you have the opportunity, through the effective use of social media, to positively influence the majority of your potential customers.

Did you know that the fastest growing segment on the Facebook are users between 38 and 50?  Is this a market you would like to reach?

You need to understand your target market so you can "aim" your marketing efforts directly at them.  Obviously, you are going to use different tools and styles to reach "young marrieds" as opposed to "baby boomers."

Follow these four steps to help you reach your market more effectively:

1. Determine who is most likely to be positively influenced by your social media campaign.
2. Find out where that group spends most of their time online.
3. Establish a presence where your market "hangs out" online.
4. Track the response to your online marketing efforts.

Meet your customers where they are.

Create content that they will be interested in.

Provide them value on your website, Facebook fan page, blog, Linkedin page and Twitter page.

Most importantly; start today.

Where are you meeting your customers?