Who’s there? LinkedIn reports by the beginning of August, 2012 had over 175 million users in over 200 countries. As this is a professional network, the people using this site are associated with a company and use this platform to connect with interesting partners, customers and X. This site is mostly useful for B2B networking, rather than for the consumer market.
Why should you use it? If professional networking, and business development are important for your business, you should have a profile on LinkedIn. You can develop a personal page to reflect your company, but you also have the option of creating a business page.
Top tip: LinkedIn Groups. Use this as a great way to connect with other professionals. Make sure to join groups that are related to your business and have high membership numbers.
Youtube
Who’s there? Google released statistics that Youtube has over 800 million unique visitors each month and is localized in over 43 different countries. Youtube videos are being shared across other social media channels and directly appearing in search engines – hence the growing importance of video marketing.
Why should you use it? Now that Google has purchased Youtube, websites that contain videos weigh heavily in the Google algorithm, which ultimately means you will rank higher on Google searches. It also adds a more visual dimension to your brand, opening up the chance for your video to go “viral”.
Top tip: Create instructional videos. If you have a product, why not create a video to explain how to use it, and the benefits it brings. Make sure to invest in quality production, as this will reflect on your brand. Discover more tips.
As a freelancer or small business owner, it will be particularly important to leverage social media channels to your advantage. These are free, powerful, platforms for you to promote and market your product or services – however, there is a tipping point. Make sure to create a solid community management strategy and carefully select which channels you will use and how. You don’t want to find yourself overwhelmed with constantly posting, updating and communicating across too many platforms. Once you understand where your customers hang out – you can make sure to hang out there too.
