To use the Internet effectively to reach your target market, you first must be clear what are the problems of your target market that you can help solve.
And these problems must be ones that your target market want solved and not problems that you think your target market should want solved.
One way of finding out what problems your target market want solved is by being actively involved in social media networking sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Each one of these social media sites offers different ways of finding out what people want:
On LinkedIn you can join groups on topics related to your business and monitor what questions are asked. You can also answer questions in the general question area of LinkedIn.
On Facebook you can create a Facebook Fan Page connected to your business and use the discussion feature to ask questions of your page’s fans.
On Twitter you can use various search applications to track what people are discussing on topics related to your business.
Of course, you don’t want to just lurk collecting information. You also want to contribute to the discussions, sharing information that demonstrates that you know what you are talking about and are willing to share your knowledge.
If you are not already on Twitter, read my four blog posts on effective Twitter profiles before you join. You can get the links at www.TwitterAndYourWebsite.com.
If you haven’t already set up a Facebook Fan Page for your business, check out our step-by-step video and workbook for creating an effective Facebook Fan Page.
And get our free report “How to Become a Twitter Marketing Expert” now.
(c) 2010 Miller Mosaic, LLC
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: Site_Booster
February 15, 2010 at 3:07 am
The three social sites you’ve introduced are the most prominent ones. How would would we know which is a better platform to create solutions for our target market?
Rahman –
That is a very good question — which of the three would be best to start with for a particular target market?
The brief answer is that there may be no way of knowing which is the best for your target market. Therefore, the question is better asked as: Which one is best for you — given your own interests and time — to connect with your target markets?
In other words, if you “get” Twitter and understand how to harness its power, this may be the best social networking site for you to begin engaging with your target markets.
If Twitter isn’t your cup of tea, you may prefer starting with a Facebook Fan Page linked to your business website.
Or if you are looking for a new position, LinkedIn may be best for you because of the “resume” elements of the profile and the option to answer other people’s questions.
Whichever one is chosen, it’s important to engage consistently and continuously on it. For example, if you only do one tweet a week, you are not effectively utilizing Twitter.
Phyllis