Generating Free Leads through Social Media
Read More: It seems that right now every internet marketer is involved at some level or other, with Social Media. What exactly is social network marketing? Well, let me first tell you what it is not --- it is not a blatant, selling platform. The whole idea is to interact with others with similar interests as you, get to know them, exchange ideas and knowledge and then perhaps be in a position to share information about your business with them.
The social network marketing sites are growing by the day. The most popular ones right now are MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. They all have the same concept, but each has unique features.
MySpace seems to be taking a back seat to Facebook and Twitter right now. There is a 'new kid on the block' and that is BetterNetworker. I predict that by this time next year, BetterNetworker will have quite a large piece of the pie.
MY SPACE
It's a free website with an interactive network of friends, blogs, groups, personal profiles, music, video and photos and it is international. Back in June, 2006 it was the most popular social networking site in the States. However, in April, 2008 it was taken over in popularity by its main competitor, Facebook. MySpace still attracts approximately 230,000 new users per day.
It is also a free website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook Inc. Within Facebook a person can join networks that are organized by city, workplace, school or region to connect and interact with others. They can also add 'friends' and send them messages and update their personal profile regularly to notify friends about themselves. ComScore reported that Facebook attracted 132.1 million unique visitors in June, 2008. During that same month MySpace attracted 117.6 million.
This is a free social networking and micro-blogging service. It allows it's users to send and read other users updates. These are called "tweets". They are only in text form and you are limited to 140 characters in length per post. You can connect Twitter and Facebook to enable you to receive your "tweets" on your Facebook page. One report stated that Twitter had well over 5 million visitors in September, 2008. This represented a five-fold increase in a month.
To highlight the value of Twitter, it was rumored that they turned down an offer from Facebook to acquire the company for $500 million in Facebook company stock.
The average person thinks that these social network sites are just for kids. However, it might surprise you to know that Barack Obama used Twitter during the U.S. presidential campaign. He had the highest number of followers on Twitter, bar none. I just checked the stats and on November 5, 2008 he had 157,743 people following his "tweets" and he was following them back.
The latest social networking site is BetterNetworker and is the 'brainchild' of Mike Dillard, the creator of Magnetic Sponsoring and many other popular programs. Mike is a legend in the industry and whatever he is involved in, is quality and integrity all the way. What BetterNetworker is aiming to do, is to be true to it's nature and purpose and not be a smokescreen for pitching a product or service without contributing something of value to the other members of the site. To date, I see a great exchange of useful information on BetterNetworker and I highly recommend it.
Just a word of caution.....you can spend a lot of useless hours navigating through these social media sites and getting sidetracked with trivia. Also, this is not a 'quick fix' to adding hundreds of people to your prospect list. However, if you are posting meaningful tidbits of information that people are interested in, then you are going to benefit from being part of the social networking scene.
A good friend of mine, who has quite a following on Twitter, just recently sent out a "tweet" about another site that was presenting a great offer. His followers decided to check it out and a week later my friend had earned over $40,000 in affiliate commissions. This only happened because he had built a large group of followers who liked, respected and trusted him.
This can take time but obviously, if done properly, it can reap rich rewards.
Jan was District Manager with Health & Welfare Canada for many years. She was also self-employed as a Nutritional Consultant and Master Herbalist. She presently works as a Business and Health Coach and operates her internet marketing company from her home on Vancouver Island.
Jan invites you to get to know her better by visiting her blog at http://www.janshimano.com. Or drop by her website at http://www.CuttingEdgeForSuccess.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Shimano
Views: 870 | 
Comments: 6 
About the Author: Jan Shimano
Member Since: 12/24/2008
I'm a Distributor For:: ASEA, LLC
Industry: Health Care
Primary Web Site: http://www.Optimalimmunity.com
Thank you Jan, I enjoyed
Thank you Jan, I enjoyed your article, I have found social media sites very useful and yes you must not spend too much time on them though! I have found Twitter very powerful in meeting new associates. When someone follows you send them a generic thank you reply(automated via Tweet later) invite them to join you on Facebook (MySpace or here on BetterNetWorker if you prefer), you normally find if there is a common bonding that person will connect with you there, you can then learn more and share interests with that person. This all happens with minimal time and effort on your part. It goes without saying "do not pitch your latest hot deal on them" or you will soon become very un popular! Just treat online social media the same as off line social media type activities and build relationships, it will take time and effort but it will be worth it to have built that trusting relationship.
Thank You!
Great article! When you say properly I hope that this word sticks out to most people here. I have seen more spam on all of the networks above concerning Network Marketing and I hope people take the time to learn how to properly position and speak to people who want to listen instead of air horning their message like many do on Twitter. Every Social Media site is suppose to engage you and your friends/followers in conversations rather then a speaking at position. Great Post
as we run, we can lose our way...
Worthwhile things do take time, you're right, and that's what is so often overlooked as people hurry to get somewhere that they think they can reach just by running real fast and shouting get outta my way, this is me !
Thanks for your piece Jan
Great Explanation
Thanks, Jan, for such a concise explanation of the different social network sites. I am fairly new on them and trying to learn how to use them correctly and at the same time to good advantage time wise as well as for business. Diane
Great Article Jan :)
Social Media is getting to the point where there is so much pitching going on. I think it is a great tool to connect with like-minded individuals and learn great value from other leaders. Don't forget that there are NEW companies popping up everyday, and in social media it is very important to remain focused on your business and your passion. Just an insight from what i've experienced in the lasst 6 months.
To A Brighter Future,
Felicia Smith
Social Media Maniac!
Hey Jan,
Loved the article.
Social media marketing has been the KEY to my internet success and it's a shame that more people don't study it seriously. Not only does it give you instant feedback and almost force you to be a better person... if you want to get results anyway... but the return on your time can be incredible.
Anyway, thanks for sharing Jan... Loved it.
:)
Courtney James