You’ve been hearing about it, but now there is more research to back it up.  According to a new Pew Internet & American Life Projects’ study, the amount of adults generating profiles on social networking sites has quadrupled in the last five years.  Quadrupled!

What This Means for Business Marketing

In marketing, timing is everything.  Being  in front of your customers with the right message at the right time is critical.

I have a wonderful friend who has been marketing her products to me for two years.  I finally became a customer last month.  Why a two year wait?   I just wasn’t ready to buy.   The smartest thing my friend did?  She kept me within her sphere of influence.  When I received the right message at the right time, the sale was easy.  A simple task for her?  Not hardly.  She followed up constantly.   A phone call there, an email here.  Another phone call.  Another email.  Multiply that by 100, 200 or 300 prospects, and you’re talking about a major investment in time and money.

Social Networks:  Built-in Follow-Up

Imagine how things could have been different if my friend leveraged a social network, perhaps on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, rich with a community of prospects (including myself) who congregated around her business.   Instead of making a phone call here or sending an email there, she would have been able to deliver constant messages to hundreds of her prospects, all at one time.  Best of all, via polls, surveys and assessments (all of which can be used via a social network) she could have revealed my reasons for not purchasing, and in return, delivered valuable, compelling and tailor-made content that could have  influenced my decision making.

Social Networks: Client Loyalty

My friend could have also leveraged the client loyalty inherent in many social networks, and perhaps created a situation in which I connected with a customer who had previously shared the same hesitations about purchasing.  Image this customer discussing why they were happy with their purchase, not only with me, but with hundreds of other prospects.   Think about the impact that would have had on my decision making and imagine how much sooner I might have entered the sales funnel.

Social Networks:  Your Online Marketing Strategy

By using social networks, you can:

• Remain  in front of your prospects to deliver the right message at the right time

• Leverage customer loyalty that exists within these networks

• Move people into your sales funnel quicker and easier

Next post: Social Networks: Sowing Seeds for Customer Loyalty