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

Share This Page

Attachments:

FoleyLogoRGB.gif, 19 KB

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Definite Consulting (T. R.) on January 29, 2009 at 10:18am: Hello!

I must say that I do have to do marketing locally or nationally in old fashioned way mostly because it is the most effective way:
1. Make a call to a potential customer and ask if one has time for one hour lunch or a coffee break during which we can change opinions about current situation and potential partnership. Even a enterpreneur or some other responsible person met in restaurant, for example, will do.
2. Arrange time for meeting
3. Make some kind of a deal.
4. Do your job.

It is almost comparable to dating. Do I wish to find a date for coming week from clobal society? Hardly. But in long period there is a great amount of choices to estimate on global markets. So, there may be lots of dates in long run. If I want to have a date locally, just one phone call is enough... and it will happen quite soon. Well, I don't know if this was a good example because I surely am not dating thousands of partners: the one is enough.

Well, but in one man business it is also like that: one good and reliable partner is enough. Changing partners is essential in some businesses but what comes to expertiese field reliability will surely be gained through long time commitment.

http://www.definiteconsulting.net; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Arnljot Blindheim on January 30, 2009 at 12:00pm: Hello There! yes yes yes!

Dear Friends,

I Don't Want 10% Of Your First $3000 In Profit. It would
probable be a fair price to pay for a successful business
idea, a business you maybe be the only one in the world to
have. (But I doubt it, because it will benefit you if more
people was in it.)
You would have to pay more in commision to a person
who would make you a businessplan.. if you can find one.

But we don't do business that way. You can pay us ( and yourself )
in a different way, by telling your friends about our deal, but read on....

In this,
Awesome business.... you keep 100% from all that you bring...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Laura on January 31, 2009 at 8:31am: Hi,
I have done the same things that you have done to promote my company, but sadly those avenues did not really work for me. I would advise not to get eaten up by the Facebook Ad Monster, it will eat up your ad money quickly and from what I've experienced. people don't really want the ads up there in the first place. I'm just offering some advice.

The Website looks great, it's easy to navigate and find what you are looking for, so keep up the good work. The social side like networking here, gives all of us an opportunity to check out your products and when the time comes, will look to your company for the particular products you have, resulting in sales.

I know what it's like to work so hard to promote yourself in the big web ocean, just give it time and you will see the fruit of your labor pay off.

Best Wishes and continued success,

Laura Farias
owner
Firefly Glow & Novelty
www,fireflygn.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Todd Davis on January 31, 2009 at 8:50pm: Hey Jennifer,

Great question to the Forum! I realize it has been awhile since you posted your original thought. I've had similar thoughts about the ROI (return on investment) of the social marketing. Not in terms of actual dollars, but more in the time and energy spent trying to do business with people that you don't know, like or trust at first.

I HATE cold-calling, as I'll bet 97% of the people on this site do also. I posted thoughts on this blog:
http://tinyurl.com/techno-babble about whether social networking works. I believe there are more effective ways.

Hopefully, you'll agree that face to face referral marketing just may work more effectively, much faster, and with higher quality referrals that turn into sales. Face to face referral marketing should be a part of everyone's business plan.

Social networking definitely has a place, its fun, you message great people, but I'm not convinced about the amount of business it generates.

Much success in 2009!

Sincerely,
Todd Davis
National Director
Gold Star Referral Clubs
www.goldstarclubs.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Charlene L. Ragsdale on February 1, 2009 at 3:01pm: Social Networking or Internet Marketing should never be a replacement for building relationships - HOWEVER, this forum and others I am a member of have served my business VERY well. HOWEVER, I have never enrolled or sold my product to anyone I have not spoken to on the phone or met face to face.

I ENJOY Social Networking - but it is not the ends to the means, it is a stepping stone to gain relationships. Do I enroll or sell to every person I speak to? Not at all - and not worried about it, because what happens - will happen and I genuinely enjoy meetings others, regardless of the outcome.

~Charlene Ragsdale (Las Vegas); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brigitte Henry on February 4, 2009 at 12:11am: The Moms Buying From Moms Network site and Chat rooms
have been a great place for me, and other moms to increase sales!!!
you should check it out, you get to chat with other moms
nightly in real time usually around 9pm est time
Moms get to know one another, share laugh, and make purchases
from one another, and best of all it's FREE
Men are welcome too!
http://shoppingbuddies.proboards2.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Orange Leaf on February 4, 2009 at 6:57pm: I have carefully read through your post and some of your replies to fellow members, I think you have a point and my take on this is that people should not generalise but think that there is a certain way to warm up people before they would be comfortable to buy from you. If i ever listen to that style of marketing where i have to warm up my base first before they buy from me. The strategy may work for those looking for relationship which i am not and i am not ready to take that risk. The last i did that was in 2004 so all you need do is

1-Do Not Sale

2-Do not ask for social networking site connection but accept when you are been asked but make it clear to the person not to send any junk mail to you other than proposal of mutual interest

3-Do not waste your time printing business cards if you are doing business online

4- Brand yourself with article writing, forum postings, blog posting/comments on how to's and establish yourself by providing quality answers that offer results for the person throwing out the question.

5- Use one of many platforms like yahoo answers to gradually permeate the minds of people on the internet who regularly seek informations on how to do stuff on the net. Become a problem solver, position yourself for the traffic, the rest of the internet community will follow you.

6-There are 2 types of people on the internet, opportunity seekers and opportunity providers, you choose which one you belong . For me, i am an opportunity provider so i know what to do to bring sales without talking to a single soul let alone wasting my time going to events. if it is not a webinar/ or teleconference count me out.

7- If you apply attraction marketing to your business, you will be the person complaining of not having the time to cope with the number of customers begging for your attention and asking to buy your products at any cost.

8- Use your signature file effectively

Orange Leaf
Viral Internet Marketer
Internet Marketing Center
7 Figure Earner
=====================================================
Secretly Spy On & Uncover Anyones Google-Adword Keywords
While You Browse Google In Real-Time!
Download This FREE Revolutionary New Keyword Research Tool Below!"
http://cents4sense.com/Downloads
=====================================================; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alex Abrams on February 5, 2009 at 2:24pm: What are my thoughts? I would say I do not know what your objectives are, what product you are selling? Could provide better respponse if Iknew what you are trying to do? Do you sell a hard dproduct or service? Thanks, Alex Abrams; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim DiBrito on February 5, 2009 at 2:28pm

This is a great site to be a part of, but, as with anything worthwhile, it takes time and perseverance. Keep all lines of cummunication open. Be available for your clients.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Donna Marie Pannullo on February 5, 2009 at 10:46pm

People are people PERIOD! I, for one, am from the old school and when it comes down to it, no one is going to do business with anyone else until they know and trust them. The internet has given us the ability to connect/network with many more people, and hence, the term "social networking" was borne.
Technology is a wonderful thing and the internet allows businesses to run more efficiently. So "YES" sales can be made online ... in the right venue and at the right time.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lynn Clifton on February 7, 2009 at 9:55am: Cheryl,

Thank you for your note. I understand what you're saying, just have to get used to this forum and protocol. I love the site -- so much to read, learn, decide and do.

Best wishes to you, Jennifer and the others.

Always happy to make new friends,

Lynn; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Natalie Boecker on February 9, 2009 at 5:23pm: Hi, Jennifer - If cold calling works for you - stick with that! But, in today's world, you are smart to also branch out into social networking. Only time will tell if it is effective. I think a lot of it depends on your business, what you have to offer, etc. Best of luck!; ▶ Reply to This