Social media is the buzzword of the day. Twitter, You Tube, Facebook…these are all a part of this world, and savvy marketers are cashing in with these sites. See, in the past, niches were dominated by corporations that controlled the flow of information. Now, customers are in charge, and information is distributed freely through social media. Anyone can become a Upcoming Star through these sites, and dominate their industry.

Here’s how:
1.  Focus on building relationships: In this new era of Web 2.0, it’s all about being sincere, open, and personable with your target market. Businesses are now judged, to a large extent, by how well people know, like and trust the person BEHIND the business. It’s a completely new business model, and one that has taken hold, and flourished, particularly online.

To develop these relationships, you need to create ongoing lines of communication with your market. Set up a blog that allows comments. Use Twitter and Facebook to stay actively involved in the discussions in your niche. Now, this may seem like a lot of work, but there’s actually software and systems you can purchase that automate much of this process, and allow you to quickly build a list of followers.

2.  Provide valuable content to your market: Social media is not a place to just sell. It’s a place to give others helpful information, to create a community of loyal followers and friends. On average, you should post about 3 helpful things for every sales type message you create. The content can, however, link bait, which means it’s intend to get people to visit your site, or subscribe to your list.   

3.  Look for opportunities to collaborate with others in your market: One of the most exciting things about this is that you have unparalleled access to the movers and shakers who are already established in your niche. By developing a relationship with them, your credibility instantly rises, and you have the opportunity to develop lucrative joint ventures.

4.  Listen to your market: One of the least talked about. But most powerful ways to use social media is to get information on your target market. You can see what folks are discussing, what they’re having trouble with. And what they want in a product or service. The easiest way to make money is to ask people what they want, and then give it to them which allows you to do both, almost effortlessly.

5.  Direct people to other quality information, even if it’s not your own… and you don’t get pay: The whole premise behind social media is creating a community of people working together, who help the quality information rise to the top. By helping others get their information seen, and by providing people with other sources of quality information. With no ulterior motives, you’re seen as a true leader in the social world.

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