Make your business stand out in the online crowd! If you're not taking advantage of the incredible resources available at your fingertips via social media, you're missing out on an inexpensive, effective, and far-reaching marketing opportunity to promote your product,\ service, or business. It's time to log on and get social! The next best thing to a personal marketing manger, this revised and updated guide gives you everything you need to know to utilize Facebook®, Twitter®, YouTube®, Linkedin®, Google+®, and other social media platforms to drum up new business. In it, you get- A primer on all the big names in social media outlets and how to get started with each. Easy tips for using social media to research who your customers are so you can better sell to them. Step-by-step guidelines on creating compelling and effective content for Facebook, Twitter, and more. Award-worthy advice on putting the world of Internet video to work for you, plus tips on making and uploading videos. Down-to-earth advice on which combination of social media is best for your product or service. Readers rave about The Complete Idoit's Guide® to Social Media Marketing-'Jennifer Abernethy is the Seth Godin of social media marketing.' 'Packed with great examples, inspiring, and direct 'how-to' advice that will help anyone.' 'Filled with timely tips, ideas, and how-to's!' 'Step-by-baby-step fpr the technologically impaired.'

The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Social Media Marketing, Second Edition, covers cutting-edge techniques for small and large businesses alike. Ask the Author Q: How has social media marketing changed business and personal lives? A: The playing field has been leveled for business. No longer do you need a 6 or 7 figure budget to reach people around the country or globe for that matter. Personally, many lives have been affected. Many people more connected, businesses have grown because of the connections, TV and singing careers have been launched, money has been raised for charity, books have been marketed and purchased, and so on. Q: What has been the most challenging part of utilizing social media? A: I think the learning curve. With all of these sites . . . they come with no directions and no LIVE phone number. Q: What has worked the best and worst thus far? A: Facebook because of it’s broad reach really has worked for me, but many would argue that YouTube works the best; particularly since it is the search engine of choice with the 11–34 age group. Q: How can a person searching for a job use social media marketing? A: So many ways. . . . They need to be on LinkedIn with a professional looking profile, photo, and contact information. They could also utilize video to begin sharing their expertise. Candidates need to stand out in a crowd of millions so if they say . . . sent in a video introducing themselves and a video follow up email . . . that would wow them! Q: What is the newest thing since Twitter? A: I believe companies and individuals are starting to utilize audio for creating their own iTunes channel, and also location-based social media like FourSquare. I personally, am not sold on location based services as of yet from a safety point of view, but for retailers it can be a good thing. I believe video is going to explode in popularity in 2011 for the 35+ market as well. They just need to get comfortable being on camera!

Covers all aspects including Facebook Marketplace, FacebookPlaces, and Facebook Deals.

Pinterest is a social media site that enables users to create online pinboards of compelling images they find online by "pinning" the images and curating them into various categories. It has exploded into American consciousness with big media attention and exponential growth-most notably reaching 10 million unique monthly visitors more quickly than any social media site in history. The vast majority of early devotees have been women of higher income between the ages of 25 and 49, and the images they pin frequently fall into the categories of clothing, crafts, food, and home décor. This represents a significant opportunity for companies and brands whose products are targeted to this market; however, Pinterest has value far beyond its initial popular use. Companies large and small are hearing the hype and hoping to get an early start with a site that shows signs of continued growth and influence. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Pinterest Marketing helps small business owners as well as marketing experts at larger companies get on the Pinterest bandwagon and learn how to use this exciting new phenomenon to increase online exposure for their products, strengthen their online presence, and connect with customers in a place where they are now flocking. In it, readers learn how to: Use the basic features of Pinterest, including setting up an account, creating boards, and pinning images. Develop a Pinterest marketing strategy and integrate it with other online and offline presences. Project a brand voice onto Pinterest through strategic pinning and writing compelling pin copy. Create pins that get repinned. Grow a following organically and understand the importance of whom a brand follows. Engage an audience through contests, collaborative boards, and more. Determine who in the organization will pin, or whether to outsource it. Gauge and quantify the success of a brand's marketing efforts on Pinterest.

Get connected. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Creating a Social Network takes reader through the technical aspects of creating a successful site - and addresses the responsibilities involved in running one. ? Covers how to build and maintain a website through a white label service such as GroupSite or Ning, and by using customized software for creating one's own network ? Addresses such issues as privacy, authenticity, fostering participation, quality versus quantity, moral and ethical guidelines, and much more ? Americans now average more than six hours per month on social networks, with an active unique social network audience estimated to be from 149 million-up 29 percent from 2009 ? Ad revenue taken in by social networking sites is growing rapidly, and many people and companies are looking for ways to get in on this growth

Twitter has tens of millions of users and its active "tweeters" and followers look to it to answer to the question, "What's happening?" Businesses both large and small can quickly and easily send out highly targeted messages to key customers using Twitter. However, simply grasping only the mechanics of Twitter and flogging a message nobody cares about isn't enough to make a measurable difference. Worse, using Twitter the wrong way can damage a company's brand. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Twitter Marketing blends an understanding of Twitter's powerful tools and reach with marketing savvy and the key to really engaging followers and converting them to customers. It also covers new features such as the increasing importance of search engine optimization.

Get connected The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Creating a Social Network takes reader through the technical aspects of creating a successful site-and addresses the responsibilities involved in running one. • Covers how to build and maintain a website through a white label service such as GroupSite or Ning, and by using customized software for creating one's own network • Addresses such issues as privacy, authenticity, fostering participation, quality versus quantity, moral and ethical guidelines, and much more • Americans now average more than six hours per month on social networks, with an active unique social network audience estimated to be from 149 million—up 29 percent from 2009 • Ad revenue taken in by social networking sites is growing rapidly, and many people and companies are looking for ways to get in on this growth

From online marketing to old-fashioned word-of-mouth, readers will find a comprehensive update on key marketing basics, as well as such topics as: • Guerilla marketing. • Marketing to Boomers and Latinos. • Online marketing. • Targeted, but affordable direct mail. • Sample marketing plans for several types of small businesses (as well as a couple of larger projects). • Practical, do-it-yourself distribution strategies. • Analysis of business segments and trends, and much more.

• Covers all aspects including Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Places, and Facebook Deals

Get social with the bestselling social media marketing book No person can ignore social media these days--and no business can afford to ignore it either. Our lives are mediated through the flicker of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram--and brands are increasingly interwoven with our online identities. Even for the 90% of marketers who interact with social media regularly, its pace and scale can be confusing to the point of distraction. Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies helps you take a step back, make sense of the noise, and get your brand voice heard over the babble--in the way you want it to be. These nine mini-books in one give you essential, straightforward, and friendly guidance on how to use the major social platforms to promote your business, engage your customers, and use feedback to make your product or service the best that it can be. From evaluating the right social mix and planning your strategy to the really fun stuff--like creating videos on Snapchat and TikTok, diving deep on a podcast, or looking pretty on Pinterest--you'll find everything you need to get your social ducks in a row and say the right things. And once the campaign is over, you can follow the guidance here to evaluate success and iterate on your approach, before getting right back out there for an even bigger second bite. Keep up with the latest changes on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and more Blend your social side with your traditional marketing presence Become more engaging and metric your success Get to know your fans with user data Wherever you're coming from--social media strategist, site manager, marketer, or something else--social media is where your customers are. This book shows you how to be there, too.