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Social Media Marketing… What’s the buzz, what’s the hype, and more importantly what’s the truth? Does it work? How effective is it?

2010: Up and to the Right

Bottom line, yes it works. However, the better question you should consider is how well it works. As a quick analysis, if I were to give you $1 for every 50 cents you gave me, would that be worth it? Of course it would be, you would be doubling your money with each investment. What if I gave you $1 for ever 60 cents, or 70 cents? What would be your limit?

The modern hype would have you believe that Social Media Marketing can make you soar to new heights overnight; and for some people it has been exactly that. However, most people that use Social Media Marketing in their business will see steady, incremental growth over time. The great thing is that it is growth they would not have experienced using only traditional marketing methods. And if you do the math or view the diagram… steady, incremental growth adds up and makes a huge difference.

Now, why is that? Well, the answer is quite simple. People are attracted to Social Media sites right now and many businesses are using this traffic stream to promote their products and services. Those that use these methods effectively gain more traffic and as a result gain more business. And, more and more people are using these sites. So here again… this is not rocket science. It’s a matter of being at the right place at the right time.

However, there is an art to using Social Media for your business. The key therefore is to use Social Media Marketing, but in a manner that brings you the right type of additional traffic: targeted traffic. Using the right blend of SEO techniques and Web 2.0 tactics you can effectively attract new visitors that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. This is where you make your new money; new visitors that you wouldn’t have reached through your traditional marketing methods.

Now, will you double your sales? Triple? Or perhaps only increase sales by 5%.  As long as your cost is below your gain, any additional sales through Social Media Marketing easily justify your investment.

The world has not fully transitioned to online marketing; therefore, you should not consider Social Media Marketing as a replacement but rather a supplement to your current marketing efforts. Over time, as you see more and more gains with your online marketing, you can then begin to decrease your offline marketing. As the world transitions, so will you. However, I’m not at all convinced that offline marketing will ever go away completely, so keep it up! By combining and coordinating the online and offline efforts, you will continue to build your business while keeping ahead of the pack.

To your success,

Johnny Vargas

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