Starting a Business All-In-One For Dummies

Chapter 6

Social Marketing: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Blogs

In This Chapter

• Exploring marketing opportunities for entrepreneurs on Facebook
• Setting up an e-commerce “kiosk” on Facebook
• Boosting your visibility with Pinterest images
• Using Twitter to build and hold a fan base
• Promoting yourself by creating a blog

No longer a novelty, sites like Facebook and Twitter are now a part of the daily lives of millions of people around the world. Facebook has gone public. Pinterest is helping businesses improve visibility — not by spreading the word but by spreading images. The idea that businesses can and should promote themselves through social media is a given.

But let's back up a moment. What exactly is “social networking”? If it's social rather than commercial, how can it help you and your business? E-commerce business and more traditional kinds of business are built on concepts such as trust, brands, and reputation. The better you can brand yourself and prove that you are either an authority in your field or someone who sells desirable merchandise, the more successful you'll be. By soliciting customers on social networking sites, you go out and actively find them rather than wait for them to find your storefront.

Social networking is simply the practice of connecting with people online at venues that have been specially created for that purpose. When the venues become especially popular, they become practical places to build a brand and spread the word about yourself and your ...