| Copyright (c) 2010 Ted Cantu | | | | dealerships, legal services and home remodeling. |
| I caught an interesting thing online recently. Many | | | | There is really no limit to the kinds of ways you can |
| web merchants are not going to take the traditional | | | | use social media to promote a particular product, |
| routes to advertise in 2010. According to a recent | | | | service or brand. Third party sites can grab your web |
| questionnaire by a Metro Detroit entertainment | | | | content and then redistribute it on other related sites |
| group, Hot Metro Finds, many merchants have turned | | | | which can help your online visibility. This is something |
| their back against standard advertising methods. This | | | | that many other forms of advertising cannot do. |
| includes a whole variety of methods such as Yellow | | | | The concept of viral marketing confuses the novice |
| Pages, billboards, television and radio. Add to that list | | | | advertiser. At first glance, this sounds an awful lot like |
| pay per click advertising fees. S.E. Michigan merchants | | | | the word virus and that has a negative connotation. |
| have not expressed an interest in this type of | | | | Viral marketing is actually a good thing unlike a virus. |
| advertising. Some place that viewpoint on the | | | | The term is used to describe how a form of media |
| economy. Others have a different take on it. They | | | | can travel from one place to another with very little |
| say that it is just not effective. | | | | work. For example, one video that you may shoot |
| In either case, many online merchants have turned | | | | that shows your service in action can be picked up |
| their back on these methods. There was another | | | | and redistributed onto another video server and live |
| problem with this scenario recently. It seems that | | | | in multiple places. This has a lot of online merchants |
| many online merchants are taking up with Web 2.0 to | | | | curious and ready to give this a try. You no longer |
| give their products some real attention online. The | | | | have to worry about heavy print costs, airtime fees, |
| online tools that you are using can make a powerful | | | | or expensive pay per click to support your brand, |
| impact on how you appear on the search engines | | | | service or product. Many of these sites will gladly |
| while you promote your products. You gain a load of | | | | host your media for free. |
| visibility when you use multi user tools such as | | | | This is a smart and effective way for upcoming |
| Facebook and Twitter but that is just the beginning. | | | | companies to compete in this info driven economy. |
| At current count there are 146,000,000 social media | | | | Spreading your company through a viral campaign |
| sites. This is creating a substantial difference in the | | | | with Web 2.0 is the best option you have when you |
| way online merchants sell their products. | | | | want to test out a product. Working smarter means |
| I have seen a lot of different markets partake in this | | | | working with Web 2.0 and that means that you are |
| type of marketing. It can work for pretty much any | | | | connecting with your audience and new potential |
| product or service. I have seen it used for Yamaha | | | | buyers when you are selling your products and |
| ATV parts, Kawasaki motorcycle parts, OPI nail | | | | services. |
| polish, golf aides, professional services, automotive | | | | |