When you use social media in tandem with your website presence you need to think of its use like a two way street of communication. When people visit your site, you want to engage them enough with your content and offers so that they sign up for your newsletter, like your business Facebook page, link with your engaging tip oriented Twitter account and also follow your LinkedIn account if your business is professional or business to business. When I have been lucky enough to find a website I really like, yes I will do all four actions!
I sign up for the newsletter, follow them on Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn. And I can do this in a matter of seconds because all the Icon link buttons and newsletter op-tin invites are sitting together in the upper right hand sidebar which is the hottest real estate you've got on your site!
So that's one side of the street or communication when it comes to social media and your website. The other side has to do with your delicious, inviting content that is so on point and leading edge that your readers want to share it. So you need your Like Me and Tweet Me buttons for your Facebook and Twitter readers that want to share your blog article content with their own faithful followers. And the social media marketing circle or word of mouth miracle goes into action. Isn't it grand? And for your sophisticated followers that appreciate LinkedIn, and sites like Delicious and Stumble Upon, you need to make sure you have your Share to Any plug in installed and showing on your post pages.
What's that you say? Share to Any is one of the great plug ins you can install for free when your social media integrated website is installed on the WordPress.org platform. And all those other graphic link buttons and opt in forms I mentioned above? All easy to get on your website with user friendly WordPress.
Two years ago when I decided to create a blog for my husband's online business, I did my research and decided on a domain hosted WordPress blog or website. I bought a domain name, installed it on WordPress and went to work creating pages. What was so amazing to me is that I did not need to know HTML or code and instead of getting just a great blog for my husband to write articles, I got a fully functional website!
And now I create customized Wordpress websites for my small business clients. I teach them how to add their own content and photos, how to update and use social media to enhance their marketing efforts. It is a win win situation because it does not cost thousands of dollars and it is the same platform that large companies like Ford, Pepsi and the New York Times are using! Can't beat that and everyday the folks at WordPress and their Open Source freelancers are always offering new plug ins and widgets to keep your website up to date with the latest trends in website use!
In recent posts I have shared a few online marketing tips that can make your small biz website and online marketing efforts get the results you need. Making your site the inviting hub or home with well written content, compelling calls to action and easy navigation is essential. Researching the different social media options like Facebook and Twitter to see where your niche market hangs out is key.
Lurking on these sites to see how your friendly competition utilizes social media is also a smart business move to make before you get your feet wet. And then emphasizing the writing of a blog to establish you as a leading authority in your field and to get loyal followers is another great tip. These are previous tips that you have read posted here. To bring all these strategies together, I highly recommend the use of a customized WordPress site to make it all come together in a professional manner and without going over your small business budget. I invite you to take a look at my site to see how social media and WordPress integrate to get you online results!
For more tips on social media marketing, follow this blog and visit Karen Teeters' website at FiveStarSiteMakers.com. You may republish this article in full. Just make sure you list this paragraph and provide a link.
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