For me LinkedIn is the best social network that professionals can get. I've been using it for more than 2 years now and believe it or not, I received most of my job offers from LinkedIn.

Even the current job at Wego / HolidayIQ, I found the ad and applied it on LinkedIn.

Yes, LinkedIn is the must have profile for every professional!

Connect with me on LinkedIn here http://id.linkedin.com/in/ridhoputradi

"While advertising and cultivating an image are still important, it’s interaction that creates loyal customers. Using social media to show customers that your business is connected to what they say, think and feel about your products can amplify your brand’s message."

Mashable

These days, companies are eager to explore the social media world as their channel for marketing. You can see how Facebook page filled with companies selling stuff. Foursquare with "My Bed" venues. Even in Twitter, the whales are coming to the surface all the time.

But let me ask you this. In terms of branding or selling your products, do you really have to be on all channel of social media?

Aha! That's the correct answer! "It depends on your target market". Yes ...

For instance, I'm sure that every marketer do a market research before they define their marketing strategy. With this research you'll be able to recognize your target market better. Knowing what they do on Sunday morning, which one they choose between iPad or PlayBook, who's their role model and other kind of information. And with an extra hour you'll find out which social media fit on you target market profile.

If I'm promoting colleges that has A+, 16-24 yo, m/f target market in Indonesia. I will start my campaign on Facebook where most of my target market spent their time. Right now, despite the story of "The Dying Facebook" I think that Facebook is still the right place for marketing campaign in Indonesia.

Well of course, some cases are different one to another. What is important that you don't waste your time selling your product in a place where there's no one interested in it.

A comprehensive market research will always be your guidance angel.

Social Media is sorting out the customer friendly companies from the "Just give us your money" ones.

If you are giving a speech, you can control the content, both visual and audible. You leave questions to the end and often seed these. You control the content.

In a conversation things are different. If you're not in tune with what the person wants they tune you out or move away. If you give them a long monologue they show signs of boredom. They want to have their say. They want to ask questions and fit you to their idea, not fit themselves to your offering. They'll take you off at a tangent.it can be very annoying if you want to get a point across.

But that's what social media is about. People don't go on Facebook to hear what you have to tell them. They go to find a solution to whatever is front of mind for them. They may give you a few seconds to prove it's you. But they're just as happy to listen to the person you says you're rubbish. You have to be funny, knowledgeable, interesting and not have too many detractors to succeed.

So what's your social media strategy?
Some companies have a top down, information on a need to know basis type of culture. They have a "Thou must not say the following" guide for all employees on social media. Their social media work thus comes across as guarded - as if they have something to hide. They'll fail to build empathy with customers.

Other companies are open and on the side of customers. They engage in customer designed product development, use feedback as a core part of their marketing strategy and build a tribe of people who think they're wonderful. They involve them in the next generation of products and have those pre-sold before they arrive - nothing makes somebody want something as much as thinking they had a part in it.

Most of us will be somewhere in the middle. But at which end of the spectrum?

From : http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/the-2010-social-networking-map/

I was looking at my Twitter timeline while watching the #ger vs #eng games. Most of tweeps that I follow are tweeting about the games. And I guess that is just how to be part of social media.

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Originally posted here http://www.guillaumeberube.com by @guillaumeberube