Does promoting your business on this site and others really result in sales?

I am new to the social networking arena, and have been putting a lot of time and energy in getting my companies name out there. I was trained in the old school of cold calling, and it has worked wonders for me thus far. Now, I hear about this new technique, and I have decided to give it a try. I have joined this group, facebook, twitter, linked in...bought face book ad space, updated our website to include social bookmarking along with making the site much more functional for online ordering. So with all this will I increase my sales?? What are your thoughts?

Jennifer Foley
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Foley Business Forms & Print Solutions
www.foleybf.com

Tags: networking, printing, products, promotional, social

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Permalink Reply by Don & Annabelle @ Zionone on December 29, 2008 at 9:28pm: Today small Business need to use the Internet resources as a affordable source of advertisement and positive exposure.

Internet Shopping has becoming more and more common place every year more people are looking on the Internet for Contractors, Real Estate Agents, Housing, Loans, etc not just clothes and household items like in the past, Internet shopping has moved to a whole new level. Everything you ever wanted or need is now available on the Internet.

The Internet is becoming a safe place where clients can shop without high pressure sales, they now make their choices based on your web site, search engine results, profile elements and your history of client satisfaction .

You can't make a sale anymore by using your good looks and a slick sales pitch.

Today Clients have a greater source of information than they ever did before to make the best decisions possible and to get the most for there money without any pressure from sales people.

If you don't get on the band wagon now the cost will become prohibitive for the small business owner as the popularity gets stronger.
You will be left behind and no one will miss you or even look for you.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Carolswraps on December 30, 2008 at 1:21pm: You can try here: http://www.buyandsell.2forum.biz
You will get good sales on advertising forums like these!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dr.Luther Brotherton, Pharm.D. on December 30, 2008 at 10:58pm: Great advice..

That's my philosophy also.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Anthony Campbell on December 31, 2008 at 8:49am: This is a very good question and very glad you have posted this to the marketing community. Before I go any further I want to wish you and your family Happy New Year. I also have developed social networking sites to test for effectiveness, but have made many friends not sales. I hear of old school telephone techniques that allows the person skill in communication to close the deal, but new school states to use attraction marketing to close the sale. Jennifer you are the expert and could advise from your past experience if attraction marketing is hype or for real. I am a engineer studying marketing for years and the emotional triggers for closing the sale seems to me to be more effective using voice to voice contact.

Anthony Campbell; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Barbara R. Gray on December 31, 2008 at 3:12pm: Hello Jennifer:

Seems like you and I have a great deal in common. I too have done what you are doing to promote my Bookkeeping business. I have paid over 30.00 for my face book ad and my good adwords is over that. I have not gotten any clients, but do not want to be discouraged because I am a very optomistic person. Hang in there and you will prevail.

My best to you int the coming New Year.

Barbara; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Howard Larson on December 31, 2008 at 4:04pm: In any online situration you need to pick and choose your marketing and advertising tools.
This site has not gotten me any clients but one of the others I am in has.

I will only work so many sites 15 sm sites so i will list and drop if one is not working, and then only go on many once every 2 weeks or so, jsut to check it out.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
larsonassoc1975@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/larsonassoc1979/1
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
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Permalink Reply by Bud on January 3, 2009 at 7:10am: I have been searching different social networks without to much success mainly because of the time I have available to be involved. Where I live in Waukesha WI- selling the internet promotions for local businesses has been a real struggle...most businesses here have there minds made up that the internet doesn't work.

So social networking was my next option as most businesses that are involoved in social networking probably understands that they need to include the consumer that shops on their monitor...I have paid for one networking group and it never did much for me - they changed their format and it seems pretty good - but - still there are many free SNG available that I might not reup my mambership.

So many businesses are joining B2B networking groups that don't include the consumer. I wanted to revert back to the business to consumer idea so we created MyShopPass.com for consumers to join in - create their own page and build a network of friends in their area to share which businesses they like, trust or not trust... While we are all businesses, we're still consumers and it would be nice to feed this new group with "positive" people as it will attract more positive people ect.

We are still working on a couple of the search features, but it's a great way for businesses to promote themselves as consumers to others and also sell your services or product...

Add your blogs/reviews Add your business video too and all the good things most social networks have.

Hope to see you there.

www.MyShopPass.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Monica on January 3, 2009 at 7:55pm: Jennifer,

My sales have not increased a whole lot from using these sites, in all honesty. I'm on probably 5 or 6 sites. I've had some sales but I also have not invested much money on these sites.

These sites are great for building relationships which eventually may or may not turn into sales. But they are also great resources for learning more about what works and what does not work.

Basically it boils down to people buy from who they know and trust, and that takes time.

I pray continued success in your business.

Take care and God bless!

Monica; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David on January 5, 2009 at 1:35am: As the three key words in Real Estate are:

Location - Location - Location

The three key words in ANY Marketing are:

Advertising - Advertising - Advertising.

If you are putting hundreds of ads per day on Television or Radio
or simply putting lettering in the back window of your car.

Without Advertising you are DOOMED to Fail!

The problem is some resources do deliver great results
while others just totally suck and are a complete waste of time and/or money.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Paul Bellerose on January 6, 2009 at 9:04am: Jen...I have an idea that you will be very successful in the networking side of sales......There is a lot of good advice being given (I for one am sucking all this in!) and surely if the relationships flourish, so will your sales which is probably not much different than cold calling....; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Golden on January 6, 2009 at 1:37pm: I too am new to social networking and how this helps a business. I am quite interested in what has been found to be most effective.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by WriteRich.com on January 7, 2009 at 3:26pm: Serious losers all. The blind leading the blind with arrogance ruling supreme. It's like a "high." No business plan, no clarity. Aiming in the dark, like you have endless shots and forever to live.

Did I say, "Losers all"?; ▶ Reply to This