A few years ago companies used radio and TV adverts, telephone directories, postal information and ‘word of mouth’ to advertise their products, but social networking sites have now come into their own by using the sites to advertise almost anything, reaching potential customers globally. With this wonderful technology, advertising online has never been easier. Prior to customers buying products from you, they are able to go onto a social networking site and read customer reviews/comments and can decide for themselves whether your product is right for them. Customer feedback for companies is crucial to their business. Each company wants you to buy from them and by reading customers’ comments can help you iron out any little problems that may exist, or if the comments are complementary, it will encourage people to buy from you, thereby increasing your revenue.
Using this non-obtrusive advertising tool, it can increase your company’s footprint, reaching areas that were perhaps normally out of reach without a considerable financial investment. Social networking sites will allow you to use a link from your own website to gain access to a social networking site, thereby allowing potential customers to read or add comments about your products or services.
Do you feel your company is unique? Then why not let everyone know about it? What better way than to use a social networking site. When you wish to purchase an item or use a service you are unfamiliar with, you would perhaps ask your friends or family for their thoughts or experiences. With a networking site you are able to read customer comments and then decide for yourself. If you feel you have received good value for money when purchasing an item, you could post a comment outlining your buying experience to inform other people of a product or company.
Of course, there are a number of social networking sites where you can advertise your goods or services; here are just two of them:
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Why Use Facebook?
Unless you have been living on the moon, you would have heard of Facebook. Facebook was introduced in 2004 by four young men – Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes, and was initially for use by Harvard students. Facebook was soon being used by students from other universities in the USA, and proved an extremely popular mode of communication.
Today, Facebook is used by over 600 million people worldwide to exchange news, or articles, photographs, keeping up to date online in real time and, of course, integrating social networking into your website. Companies are now using Facebook to improve their interaction with customers and improve customer satisfaction. If your company wishes to create a presence, social networking is a great place for exposure. A company can use Google AdWords to entice visitors to their site, thereby raising their brand awareness and encourage people to visit their site.
Why Use Twitter?
Twitter came into its own in 2007 and is based in San Francisco and is widely used across the world. Twitter is a real-time information network, allowing people to post ‘tweets’ and read up on what they find of most interest to them. Using Twitter, you can also create a company presence to entice your customers to your door. You are able to follow conversations, add your own or advertise your company.
