WEEK 12

After reading the chapter in Online Marketing, I found LinkedIN to be a very important, non necessarily-social media account. It is like using Facebook for business, but actually dedicated solely to expanding growth in your area of expertise. Using Linked IN I would utilize the Amazon app which allows you to view what others are reading/have read in your groups and subgroups. If I saw people had read the similar transcendental books as I have in the past, then that alone can spark a conversation that proves the extent of my knowledge to future colleagues and business connections. Having a shared area of interest always brings an at ease energy when communicating with an individual for the first time. What I also found useful was how LinkedIN will track what is being "tweeted" about your company or corporation. Through this app I can respond to followers or fans or even haters, to keep a good persona through social media; as someone who can accept both positive and negative feedback.

   Google Plus can also be an incredibly beneficial social media tool to help market and branch out to future business partners. Also it can help group yourself to others in your field, by branching farther out via online across a wider geographical range. A tool I found truly intriguimng was their version of skyping, called "Hangout" which is completely free of charge. This aspect helps bring a more human nature aspect to a meeting, whether it be for the first time or just for a regularly scheduled meeting; being face to face helps communication broaden through body language. As read in the lecture, this social media part of google can even inspire blog posts by viewing what others opinions are on certain subjects. It is always insightful to see what others in your area of interests perceptions are, and gaining a neutral understanding.

   The last two items I find being beneficial to my business are the two virtual coupon sites: Groupon and Living Social. Because my business is completely online and highly intangible to the public, this provides to be the only way to spread deals to the whole public, meaning those who aren't on my followers list. However Living Social stands out because they encourage direct feedback after a customer uses a businesses coupon. It can be extremely helpful in gauging corporate fans by collecting the data of whether they are new or old. Living Social further asks if this same customer would consider going back to this business or not. Having a complete view of whose interested in your site helps the owner better understand where they lacking.