10 Social Sites You're (Probably) Not Using But Should Be

http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/05/28/10-social-sites-you-re-not-using.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

10 Social Sites You're (Probably) Not Using But Should Be

by Allison Howen

Posted on 05.29.2013

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The Web is full of social destinations where people come together to answer questions, discuss news and share interesting information with each other.
In fact, aside from the ’Net’s most popular social sites, like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Pinterest, there are myriad smaller, alternative networks where people participate in conversations every day. Most businesses are missing these conversations (a.k.a. engagement opportunities), because they focus their resources on the larger, aforementioned social networks. And while it is important to maintain an active presence on popular sites like Facebook and Twitter, reaching out to audiences on smaller social networks can help a brand foster new relationships, generate traffic, and build authority and recognition within its niche.
However, in order to participate with smaller social networks, you must first find them, which is why Website Magazine has compiled a list of 10 social sites that you probably aren’t using but should be. Check them out below:
Quora
This question-and-answer platform recently released a video on its blog that reveals that in just a year, Quora has grown by more than three times across all metrics. Brands can take advantage of this growth by participating with the Quora service, via answering questions, asking questions and creating blogs on this platform.
StumbleUpon
Many people use StumbleUpon to kill time and discover new and interesting things, however, businesses can also leverage this platform to reach new prospects. The social network offers a Paid Discovery option, which allows businesses to deliver content to relevant traffic. Companies simply need to submit a URL and select targeting preferences in order to get their content put in front of a new audience that is actively seeking interesting content.
Keek
This video-based social network allows users to create, share and watch short video updates. The site has grown its audience with the help of celebrity users like the Kardashians. And even though there isn’t currently a specific place for business users yet, individuals can sign up for the service and create brand-related videos, which can also be shared via email, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.
Flickr
Businesses can find success on this photo-sharing site by posting share-worthy images and videos, as these will be more captivating than standard product images. For example, brands can show off behind-the-scenes images of their staffs or products being made as a way to better relate with customers.
Sulia
This platform describes itself as “the subject-based social network.” It connects users with the top social sources on subjects they care about. Brands can contact the company to request to have their content featured on Sulia or to advertise within specific channels.
Klout
You may be using Klout already, however, it is important to know that this platform can be used for more than to just monitor your social influence. In fact, Klout recently launched Klout Experts, which is Q&A feature that allows users who are influential in a specific area to answer a frequently asked topic-related question. Then, when someone searches that question on Bing, the Klout Expert insights are displayed, which helps boost the expert’s visibility and authority.
Tribe
Tribe is a social network that connects people with like-interests. While this platform shouldn’t be used to spam other users or push your brand/product, individuals can participate in conversations with this online community, as well as post information listings and events.
HARO
HARO, which stands for help a reporter out, is a service that helps reporters connect with sources. This social service is particularly useful for B2B businesses, who can sign up to be a source and answer relevant questions in the hopes of making it into a popular blogger’s next article.
CafeMom
Many marketers target moms, as this customer segment is typically a household's decision-maker. Luckily, there are many digital destinations to find moms chatting on the Web, including CafeMom. This momma-based social network is full of ladies discussing everyday events. So even if you don’t feel like participating in these mommy discussions (because you don’t want to come off as a spammer), this site is an inspiring place to come up with content ideas for blog posts and email newsletters based on the subjects moms care about.
Foursquare
Although Foursquare has been around for a while, many businesses have neglected this location-based social network for more popular platforms, like Facebook and Yelp. However, this social network’s business tools make it a valuable way to connect with customers and entice them into brick-and-mortar stores. In addition, Foursquare recently launched a business-specific mobile application that allows brand managers to post updates and monitor activity on the social network.

The Truth about Facebook Promotions

http://thesherwoodgroup.com/business-education/the-truth-about-facebook-promotions/#.UZLuVYJAuAE

The Truth about Facebook Promotions

It should go without saying that, if you’re a company competing in social media, offering your audience incentives is the way to go. However, it’s surprising that so few brands using social media actually take full advantage of a site’s features. Facebook Promotions, for example, offers a wide range of options one can use in order to bring in the business, but many companies simply overlook them.

One of the best features of Facebook Promotions isn’t a single feature per se but rather the option to put a wide range of apps on your page. With the right third-party software and a little creativity, you can easily create an attractive, enticing promotion to increase your fan base and to boost your brand’s profile.

But there are some factors you should be aware of before creating a promotion. Unless your Internet marketing game is great all around, able to attract a large base, then even the best promotions aren’t going to have the effect you’re hoping for. It’s a numbers game in part that you should privy to.

Understanding the Numbers Game
The brands on Facebook that do the best with their promotions usually already have established fan bases and have an ample number of  followers. The more fans a brand has, the more likely it is that a great coupon from a promotion will be shared with members of their network. So to that end, the numbers do play a large role. However, even smaller brands can have ample success as long as they put the time and effort into actually getting things right.

A proper promotion is a process. You can’t simply throw an app together sloppily offering a few percentage points off and hope to attract business. And that’s not even dealing with the fact that Facebook has a lot of rules out there that need to be adhered to.
Running a winning promotion requires:

1. Reading, understanding and following Facebook’s promotional guidelines
2. Selecting the right third-party software to create the application
3. Targeting customers through a promotion with the same detail they’re targeted for products; i.e. catering to a niche’s need with a solution
4. Creating an offer that’s enticing enough to not only get those likely to be interested to click-through and participate in the promotion, but also making it enticing enough to share
5. Keeping your promotions sporadic and exclusive in order to give a true “sale” feeling to your company
6. Ensuring that the promotion you’re running is very representative of your brand

When it comes to promotions, you can select from simple discounts and coupons, prizes and sweepstakes, or you can even hold trivia contests, photo and video-based contests, and much more. It all depends on how creative you are.

You just cannot expect a promotion to be that miracle conversion-inducing step. You have to remain realistic; and realistically speaking, you should be able to see a spike in conversions if you’re offering an enticing promotion that meets the needs of your fan base. You should also see your numbers grow slowly as more people start to share your promotions with others. It will help build trust and engagement with your brand.

Why Brands Should Choose Facebook
So out of every social network you could choose from, why choose Facebook? Is it only because of the promotions you’ll be able to host from the site? Well, that’s certainly one of the reasons, but it’s far from the only reason to focus on this social networking giant.

You have to understand that Facebook is far and away the biggest and most popular social media site out there: a billion users, and they’re growing more every single day. The site also offers a mobile version of Facebook, which is great for your marketing efforts.

Facebook can act as the hub for all social media for your brand. By advertising on Facebook, you can post a wide range of promotional material, you can interweave your entire Internet presence, and compared to traditional advertising methods, social media marketing is a very low-cost way to get your message out there.

Even if you only wanted to use Facebook to hold promotions, it would still be worth it. But with so many great features on the site, you can build up a thorough following and leverage promotions in order to up your conversion rates significantly.

Author’s bio:
Eric Taylor works as a freelance writer and business developer for a Facebook ad tool – Qwaya. The company’s goal it to provide extensive information, tools and up-to-date news about social media marketing strategies, most specifically in Facebook.