Do You Fear
internet Marketing
and social Media?
3 small steps you can take to begin using
these valuable online tools.
By Kari Logan and CheLSea LeineS
Co-owner anD Contributing writer at C.e.L. PubLiC reLations inC.
Social media is getting as hot as a high-efficiency furnace, blowing steady streams of information everywhere. Yet,
many contractors aren’t warming up
to it. They fear losing control of their
marketing messages in an unfamiliar
setting. Their fears could leave them
in the cold, missing opportunities to
interact with potential and existing
customers.
incorporate them into their personal
and business lives.
If you don’t know where to
begin, take these three steps to
begin using Internet marketing
and social networking. Once you
are comfortable with these, you
can move on to other tools such as
Twitter if you determine it makes
sense for your company.
has taken on a sleazy connotation
for many business owners and
managers, but the truth is that good
news and information can spread
like a virus in a positive way.
If fear is keeping your company
from using social media for
marketing, now is definitely the
time to take your first steps toward
using these valuable tools.
According to Hitwise, an Internet
traffic monitor that collects data
directly from ISP (Internet Service
Provider) networks, more than 25
million U.S. adults regularly share
advice on products or services
online. Another respected source,
a market research firm called
MarketingSherpa, reports that 58%
of consumers prefer Web sites that
have peer-written product reviews.
This trend often is called Web 2.0, a
term defining the change in the way
people are using the World Wide
Web. Internet or “viral” marketing
and social networking through sites
such as Facebook and LinkedIn fall
under this umbrella as consumers
1. start with
Your Web site
The place to start is with your
Web site. In order to be effective,
you need to have a well-designed,
user-friendly Web site. Think of it
as your marketing and social media
headquarters where everything
begins and eventually returns.
According to award-winning
online strategist David Meerman
Scott, the term “viral marketing”
What do HVACRBusiness.com readers think of social media?
In a recent HVACRBusiness.com reader poll, we asked what our readers thought of using
social media for marketing. Almost half want to use social media, but don’t know how.
Almost one in four think social media marketing is a waste of time for the hvacr industry.
What do you think? Send your opinions to Editor Tonya Vinas at tvinas@hvacrbusiness.com.
Here are the results of the poll:
• We have a page on Facebook, mySpace, or LinkedIn. .............................................. 26%
• We are using Twitter to send information on products and services to customers......4%
• We are using blogs to promote ourselves as experts...................................................2%
• We want to use social media, but we don’t know how. ............................................ 48%
• Social media marketing is a waste of time in our industry. ..................................... 22%
Search engine optimization
(SEO) is necessary for Internet
marketing and public relations
to be successful. You do this by
using keywords associated with
your business each time content
is added to your Web site, blog,
press releases, etc. This raises you
on the results list of search engines
and drives traffic to your site and
your company, wherever it appears
online.
2. start a Blog
Start small with a blog and work
your way up. Invite your customers
and potential customers to
interact with you, and in exchange,
give them useful information.
This could include tips on
maintaining equipment, energy-savings information, air-quality
information, and other information
that consumers are interested in.
This process will enhance your
credibility and potentially drive
