It has become increasingly understood that having a Facebook presence for your business should be among the top things to be included in your 2011 online marketing efforts. The question is no longer why Facebook is a valid channel, but how to capture leads and generate a return on your investment (ROI).

Creating a loyal fan following within Facebook takes a lot of ongoing commitment, dedication, consistent engagement and strategy. Engaging fans to like your page by offering incentives, promotions or exclusive rewards is one of several ways to build your fan base. But the question that remains is: what do you do once you have your captive audience? Being able to capture fans’ email addresses, names and possibly phone numbers is a great way to get to better know your audience and build your database for other possible marketing efforts.

(Below is a screen shot of how you can capture your Facebook fan’s credentials)

The above custom Facebook tab has a lead generation form built into the design that allows you to easily capture your fan’s information. Building up and creating a Facebook fan base is step one, but it’s how you capitalize on your Facebook fan base and convert them into a sale that is key. Creating a custom Facebook tab that allows your fans to engage by asking questions as well as providing their contact information is great way to continue to build a relationship with your customer base outside of Facebook.

We all know by now that Facebook has become the dawn of the new age and creating a Facebook presence for your business should be a staple in your online marketing efforts. The question is no longer why Facebook is a valid channel to venture into, it’s how do I grow my Facebook Fan Page following?

The truth is this isn’t something that can be easily achieved overnight. It takes time, strategy, dedication and an ongoing commitment to build up a Facebook Fan base.

Below are a couple tips that will help your business grow their Facebook Fan following:

#1: Ongoing Commitment and Consistent Engagement
Creating a great first impression is vital. When prospective fans review and select Facebook pages to “Like’, quality content and active engagements may heavily impact their decision to “Like’ your page. Other factors that may impact their thinking when deciding whether or not to “Like’ a page include brand image or recognition. If their fellow Facebook connections have “Liked” your page, there is regular posting of new information or content and steady engagement from the administrator, your page has every reason to be “Liked”.

#2: Offer Incentives, Promotions or Rewards to Your Fans
Encourage fans to “Like’ your page in order to receive ongoing promotions or incentives. Offer your fans an exclusive offer that people who don’t “Like” your page won’t be privy to.

(Below is a screen shot of how you can offer incentives only to those who “Like” you page)

Rewarding your fans with special deals and incentives for their continued support will encourage them to spread the word to their friends by sharing the content and persuading them to “Like” your page as well.

If you haven’t already realized the importance of video content on the web, then now is the time to open your eyes. I think that it’s pretty safe to say that online videos have established an overwhelming presence throughout the web.

ComScore, time and again has stated that more than 80% of the total U.S. Internet audience views online videos throughout the month, and many companies still aren’t tapping into this audience.

ComScore, just recently released statistics that confirm that 183 million people in the U.S watched online videos during the month of May compared to 178 million in April. That’s nearly 84.8 percent of all Internet users in the U.S. According to comScore, YouTube.com achieved record levels of activity in May with an all-time high of 14.6 billion videos viewed. This surpassed their past average of 100 videos per viewer to approximately 101.2 videos per viewer.

Naturally, YouTube remains the dominant player in video, with 43% of online videos being seen on their site. According to YouTube, every minute 24 hours of video are uploaded to their network, and on average, 2 billion videos are being watched a day. The average visitor spends 15 minutes per day on YouTube.

Online videos are a hot trend that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. This rising popularity has been inspiring a trend for marketers to create and distribute more informative and even viral videos. At this stage ignoring the demand for creating videos could be a great detriment to your businesses. Creating online videos is a great opportunity for companies/brands to become a part of the ever going demand for online videos.

Social media has become the new 800 lb gorilla, replacing Google as the most visited web site in the United States. Social Media platforms have become a driving force in how customers view brands and businesses, which can be both beneficial and detrimental depending on how you approach social media.

All businesses must enter the social media realm with a plan to manage the possible associated risks and repercussions that may occur. As we have seen over the past few weeks with Nestle and Toyota, social media can be the gasoline added to a fire. Preparing for these types of situations should be of utmost importance to all businesses before they delve into social media.

Nestlé’s lack of preparation and immediate response to their social media backlash has resulted in severe ramifications.  According to Viral Agency, Nestlé’s online brand attitude shifted from 43% positive attitude on March 15, to negative 35% on March 17. Just two days following the launch of the Kit Kat Palm oil viral video campaign, Nestlé’s had a huge 78% negative shift of favorability.

The exchange of information and news is accessible to users within seconds. A clear plan is the best method for preventing a social media fire and dealing with those fires after igniting. If dealt with properly, social media can be of great valuable and very beneficial to businesses during a crisis.  

How to successfully prepare for social media issues:

1. Establish a Crisis Management Team- Create a dedicated team of people who are educated in social media and crisis management
2. Set up response channels – i.e. Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Blog. Know how to quickly respond and interact in each channel
3. Listen, interact and stay engaged – Set up alerts, stay engaged, always know what is going on and keep up with the latest buzz.
4. Prepare-  Be fully prepared for a crisis and establish your plan of attack
5. Business Plan - Develop a business model and etiquette for employees to follow when engaging in each channel. Always be prepared and plan for the worst.

Burying your head in the sand won’t cut it. The fire won’t put itself out. You need to prepare a strategic plan of attack and turn a crisis into a benefit.

Is Facebook becoming a threat to the 800 lb gorilla known as Google? Ever since Facebook decided to open up its Application Program Interface (API) to agencies to allow advertisers to manage their Facebook ads more effectively, they have become a force to be reckoned with.

Facebook is now a powerful source in directing traffic around the Web. According to Compete Inc, Facebook has surpassed Google and has become the top source for traffic to major portals like Yahoo, MSN and AOL. For the first time ever, Google has formally listed Facebook as a competitor in its annual 10K filing.

Is social media becoming the next generation of search engines? Social Media trends are impacting the way people are approaching online marketing, even as Google takes steps to move into the social-media world. It’s quite possible that Google’s new social media buzz efforts may just be a reaction to Facebook’s overwhelming presence.

Facebook has over 400 million active members and 225 million of which have become active users in just the past 12 months. Facebook states that the average time users spend on Facebook exceeded 7 hrs per month in January 2010 and is up by over 10% from the previous month. According to Compete Inc, 13 percent of traffic to major Web portals like Yahoo, MSN and AOL has come from Facebook. Google, which has consistently been a leader in directing Web traffic in the past but, has slipped into third place with 7 percent.

Facebook has clearly become a major platform in the marketing arena. Now is when advertisers should be sure to focus more attention on social-networking sites like Facebook and figure out the best ways to capitalize on their ever growing traffic.

Since I can remember, Super Bowl Sundays were more then just a football game, as many viewers tuned in primarily for the commercials. With the ever-changing trends and the large shift toward online marketing and social media networking, businesses are starting to invest their advertising dollars in other mediums outside of television.

When this past Sunday’s Super Bowl commercials aired, many familiar brands had returned, but for the first time in over 20 years, Pepsi has opted to take a different approach. The world renowned company has readjusted their advertising dollars from television to social media. Pepsi Co. decided not to spend $2.8 million on a 30-second spot. Instead, the company created the Pepsi Refresh Project community on both Facebook and their website, which will donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations, individuals and companies with great ideas.

(Pepsi Refresh Facebook Page)

Pepsi’s Refresh Project will fund over $20 million to fan’s ideas that will have a positive impact on the world, environment, health and cultures. Pepsi’s Refresh Project is an interactive web community that engages with fans by allowing them to submit for grants, as well as vote for other’s submissions such as sending Girl Scout cookies to troops overseas, creating a diaper bank for poverty stricken families or building a garden to supply fresh produce to the local food pantry. Pepsi’s innovative social networking campaign has built an engaging community of fans who will continue to interact for months. Celebrities like Rhianna, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon have also become a part of the Pepsi Refresh Project. They too are asking Americans to vote on which idea they’d like to see implemented.

Why not shift your advertising efforts to a free social media platform that has more than 350 million active users, of which about 70% of those Facebook users are outside the United States? There are more than 700,000 local businesses with active Fan Pages for which more than 20 million people become fans of Pages each day. It’s an ever-growing community that spans across the globe.

This recent Pepsi initiative is one of many that represent a significant shift and trend of well known brands and companies moving their advertising efforts to social media.  If large companies like Pepsi can effectively cut advertising dollars and dedicate their advertising efforts to building relationships with customers through social media, then who’s to stay that others won’t follow suit?

Social media has made the world seem like a very small place despite geographical boundaries and distance between populations.

When a nation needed help these past few weeks they turned to social media for aid. Social media tools have become a lifeline in the wake of the earthquake devastation in Haiti. Platforms likes Facebook and Twitter have once again proven that they are effective tools for spreading information and connecting with people across the globe.

According to CNN, social media’s instant communication has had a significant impact on Haiti relief. The viral spread of charity text message campaigns that were posted on profiles and tweeted nationally have raised more than $11 million for Haiti victim relief. Thousands of tweets, re-tweets, TwitPics and status updates were shared and viewed as this devastating disaster unfolded. Both celebrities and civilians helped to spread the word and raise awareness. Within hours of the disaster, mass viral communication was well underway. Social media has made it easy for people to find out valuable information and respond to the news quickly.

Haiti is one of several major world events that Social Media has become the stage for. In the past few weeks social media has also had an impact on world news in places like China and Iran. Both Twitter and Facebook have allowed us to encounter real-time communication and information as the courses of these events have evolved globally.

Businesses are now finding successful ways to capitalize on social media’s global reach and impact. We have worked with several clients who have been able to achieve great results through both Twitter and Facebook. Businesses are now able to offer their serves as either a relief to a global crisis or as a source for a solution internationally. Companies like Unites Airlines, Spirit Airlines, FedEx, Office Max, Cisco and Texas Instruments have seen success in using social media to build a relationship and brand awareness with clients all around the world.

Social media allows businesses to spread information quickly and in real-time. These free platforms allow businesses to connect with customers from different sides of the globe, discuss ideas, generate buzz, establish a brand, spread awareness and even raise millions of dollars in relief funds. Social media is and will continue to be an impactful tool in an ever-growing number of ways.

Is there such a thing as social media privacy? Just weeks after Facebook announces that they have gone public with their user’s personal information, Google announced the launch of real-time web and personalized search queries. Google’s new search functionality will allow anyone looking for information, news or events to see live updates in real-time. Users can now view live public social media messages and have an insight into live breaking news the moment it happens. Google’s launch of real-time search engine results is anticipated to have a significant impact on the social media marketing industry. This new development may have both a negative and positive impact on social media users. This new real-time feature may improve the results of social media campaigns and efforts, by allowing user’s news and events to be published within Google’s search results. Companies will now be able to achieve more consumer engagement and drive more traffic to their websites. This move toward sharing more personal information is enticing for companies with Twitter, Google and Facebook profiles. It is a great incentive for companies to invest more time and effort into their social media efforts and gain more exposure. It is hazy as to whether or not consumers will see the value in sharing their personal information with more than just their friends, but with everyone online.

(Screenshot of Google’s real-time news feed)

Pessimists believe that the new Google real-time feature may be opening a Pandora’s Box, by allowing spammers to get their foot in the Google search door. No one knows whether or not social media users will continue to participate in social media efforts knowing that their news will now go public. Before consumers make up their mind on the new social media circumstances, businesses should take full advantage of social media efforts while the iron is hot. This could be a very beneficial attribute that will allow businesses to gain more targeted publicity.

Social media has grown new legs and is beginning to capitalize in all industries. In today’s current economy with the National Unemployment Rate at nearly 10.2% (according to United States Department of Labor), Job Seekers are seeking new avenues to find a job. Social media networks have broadened their horizon beyond just marketing and brand awareness, and have become a primary venue for job seekers. 

Traditionally, people sought out employment by contacting former colleagues, networking with new acquaintances, or relying on referrals. Social networking sites now allow job seekers to make those contacts electronically. Networks such as LinkedIn have become a lead proprietor in both the job search and marketing arenas. Social Media networks have become one of the main go to places for all avenues of life.

In addition to creating awareness and establishing relationships, LinkedIn has become one of businesses’ main sources for recruiting employees. A survey conducted by Jobvite found that 80 percent of companies use or are planning to use social networking to recruit candidates.(http://www.jobvite.com/recruit/news/press-releases/pr/jobvite-2009-social-recruitment-survey.html) Companies use LinkedIn tools to converse with former employers or co-workers, check out recommendations, and get a sense of potential employees communication skills, as well as get insights into their qualifications. LinkedIn has established a professional platform for sharing that type of information and establishing those relationships. LinkedIn profiles can serve as both a professional marketing tool, as well as an online resume in a sense. 

Other social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook can also be useful tools for both marketing and recruiting. Companies use their Facebook pages to post new openings or promote offers or products Twitter allows companies to tweet 140 character messages of jobs or current promotions, which can quickly be retrieved on a cell phone. Social media networks have become the next generation of successful marketing tools for companies.