Using Twitter & Facebook To Promote Your Brand, Book, Cause Or Business

While millions and millions of people are on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, a large percentage is not yet using these social media platforms to effectively promote a brand, book, cause or business.

And yet, with applying a little creativity, the possibilities for furthering a project of your own via social media are almost endless.

Let’s say you have a project that helps people get microloans and you want people to donate to this cause.  Besides tweeting about your efforts, you might run a contest on Twitter with prizes for the five people who donate the most before a specific deadline.  You can also have a Facebook (business) page that supports the contest on Twitter.

Or let’s say that you will soon begraduating from college and are worried about getting a good job after graduation.  Have you created a professional presence for yourself on social media, including LinkedIn?

This professional presence includes a good headshot (a smile, no hat or glasses covering your eyes, no distracting clothing elements) used on all your social media profiles.  It is also a good idea to use your real name for your Twitter username in order to coordinate with your Facebook profile and your LinkedIn profile.

One of the strongest reasons for having effective Twitter and Facebook accounts is that you can use a Facebook (business) page for your business if you do not yet have a website.

While an effective website as a home base for social media is preferred, you can begin with a search engine-optimized Facebook (business) page.  Then when you have a website, you can announce this website on your Facebook (business) page and encourage the people who have joined that page to now visit your website.

Of course your Twitter account, your Facebook activity and your website should be integrated, presenting a consistent brand across these platforms.  You want people to know, like and trust you whether you are promoting a cause or a business. So you do not want to appear inconsistent in how you present yourself.

First and foremost for promoting via social media:  Share worthwhile information when you participate on social media sites.  You are not there to sell but instead to connect with people who down the road may be interested in supporting your cause or business.

The goal is to give first with no expectation of a return.  If you truly share worthwhile information, you may be surprised at what comes back to you.

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and is the co-founder of the social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing.  Phyllis and her business partner Yael K. Miller are writing a new blog series — “How to Use Social Media to Get Your Dream Job” — at http://ebranding.me/resources/curriculum/mmpm/