Social Networking: big opportunity for small businesses

The social networking phenomenon is growing dramatically in the recent years. An upsurge in the use of social networking websites is no longer limited to personal web pages alone. It has also become a digital marketing tool for businesses here and around the globe. Although, there are still companies who are adamant in engaging in social networking, not realizing the benefits one can reap from this technology, especially small businesses which do not have a lot of resources to fund a sophisticated advertising and marketing of their products or services.

Social networking is an easy and inexpensive way to create your presence in the online world, informing people that your business exists. It's a good opportunity to establish relationships, business contacts, making new friends with similar interests and finding old friends as well. It can also attract prospective customers and retain loyal ones. Facebook and Twitter are examples of networking sites that small businesses can use for free. These sites may be used to offer "deals of the day" and other promotions, company events and product information. The best thing about these sites is that it's the fastest way of getting the word out (call it word of mouth). If one customer is happy about your product, he will tell his friends about it, and chances are these friends of his will spread the news to several other friends in their group, thus providing positive endorsement. Also, these sites provide for interactive communication between your company and your customers. You just have to be genuinely responsive to what they say. Allowing customers to leave feedback or suggestions will make them feel that they are a part of the business, fostering better company-customer relationship. Feedback and suggestions in turn may give insights to improve your products and services.

This technology may sound too simple but engaging in social networking is not an effortless task. One must be willing to devote a lot of time nurturing his or her business community. Some companies even hire people just to maintain their company's social networking visibility. When Dell announced that they earned $3 million from using Twitter, it didn't happen overnight. It took Dell eighteen months to earn their first million and another six months to earn their last million dollar. For those small companies who are just starting out, experts say that spending two hours a day is enough and at least three months to see the result of their hard work. So what are you waiting for? Make friends in Facebook or join Twitter now.

By: Jenette Chiong

Digital Marketing in the Philippines: Success or Not?

A CLASSIC SCENARIO OF JUAN DELA CRUZ AND DIGITAL MARKETING

John: Hi i'm John. I've noticed you've got a great business right there and I think you needed our service.

Juan: Oh nice. What do you offer?

John: We offer a superb marketing strategy sir. We offer digital marketing.

Juan: Impressive. But we already have a website.

John: Good. Then you badly needed our services.

Juan: I think you didn't hear me I said we already have a website.

John: Yes I heard. But I'll say it again, you must have our services.

Face it. In a "developing country" like the Philippines, the web remains a newly discovered virgin forest; explored but not yet tapped. Like the short dialogue above, most Filipinos think that going digital is just a matter of launching a great / functional website. Well although it really does include such, it's but phase one of the entire process. I myself is still at a lost trying to define what are the scopes and limitation of digital marketing.

According to the all knowing Wikipedia, this "is the practice of promoting products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner". In short, advertising using digital medium which now pertains to the internet.

As the web grows into a bigger dome almost every second, it drags more and more "friends", "followers", "bloggers", "gamers", "uploaders" and the latest hit, "twitts", along the way. It caters to a variety of audience more generally specified compared to conventional media. There's no "actual" filter that will sort its viewers.

Its convenience and amazing swiftness in posting information is incredible. One click and your entry can be seen even in Antartica, if Wi-Fi has already penetrated those ice burgs.

The vastness of people joining this cyber community has pushed businesses to relocate their emporium online. And what a success it is! At least for the westeners.

Many are saying our country is still not ready to incorporate digital marketing, e-commerce, or e-marketing. They say, with a quotation of the 2006 survey on internet users, there's but less than 20% of the whole population who's computer literate. Wait. Hello. The internet blossoms by quantum leaps every minute, how could you say that stats applies to now, 2009, in this hour, in this minute?

Facebook, Friendster and Multiply statistics don't lie when they said their membership population has boosted to millions and most of them are Asians. In every rental shops I've been in, even before gamers start their session, they all check / sign up for e-mail addresses, social networking sites, communities and forums.

Most OFW-families admit to have been using instant messengers and e-mails to contact their loved ones abroad. Of course, our kababayans were influenced by the westner fancies and so they got addicted to the latest "twitting" trend tagging along their friends and families. Now tell me this stuff won't work.

If you'll look deeper into this strategy, it is not as simple as having a well graphic-ed, flash-filled, and functional site. The web is a frenzied tub of information and data. How would the people know you exist? That's easy. You need a marketer.

Your marketer's job is to make sure you get found by your prospective clients. In one click of the search button whether it is in Google, Yahoo, or Ask, your website / company / business will float within the first two pages of their list. If you have a good promoter, your site will probably hit 1st or 2nd rank.

Actually, the test lies when your business uses a very contested keywords. For e.g., a fastfood restaurant. Without a digital marketer, it is tough to penetrate even the top 100.

Going back to the question, will digital marketing work in the Philippines? Hell yeah! It may be a small community now but hey, everything starts at the bottom right?

By: Maria Espie Vidal (LOZATECH ASIA SEO-SMO DIRECTOR)