Don’t worry this isn’t a sales pitch, but rather a gentle reminder to rethink your online marketing message. With the social media sonic boom we have all experienced, there was (and still is) a mad rush to get on linkedin, facebook, start a blog, rethink your website content, etc and yet after the dust has settled, the ROI for all your efforts looks sadder than a cat soaked in water.

I believe the main reason for the lack luster return is we effectively took out the human element of our marketing messages. Our main focus has been to develop a message online created based on our assumptions, making it SEO friendly, and published in a automated format, almost slamming it in the face of any poor soul who decided to “content with or friend” you.

So What’s The Solution? It’s simple really. Stop selling and start listening. All of us have been taught that in order to be effective with Social Media, you have to put out content and hope that it sparks dialog and possible business. The problem is because we are really digging for new content, most of it isn’t any good. It’s true that you need to be active with content, but quality of the content is more important. What if for example, instead of posting where you are, what you are doing, or what sort of deal you are running, you decided to just sit back and start to listen to the people in your network talk. By listening we can know what everyone is looking for and how you can position your company’s services via an effective marketing message to grab their attention. The idea is to create content holding true to a specific message that directly brings value to the intended person. Quality of message rather than quantity.

Let’s get more specific. As an example, Linkedin is a great way to connect with others and constantly post all the boring things you are doing along with 90% of the other people posting similar posts. What if you decided to start digging around the “Answers” section and try to help someone out with a problem they are having without heavily promoting your business. Just simply helping without strings attached. What if you joined a group and did the same thing, but all you did was interact with others and got to know them a little more? Sounds like more work, but I can almost promise you that the results will be a lot better than just writing out a meaningless 140 character status.

If we keep to our simple old school ways of building strong relationships by listening to others, trying to help them, and ultimately providing tremendous value like we do outside of the online world, then the rewards are endless. Your company can develop a better marketing message based on what you hear is needed and at the same time, you are building a strong network of business relationships that can last forever.

Video 5 of 5 of “Interview with the CEO of Boost Labs” video series. In this video, Ali talks about Facebook and why it is here to stay. If you have opinions please post them up.

Answer: Depends on what the business is selling.

Probably not the answer your were looking for right? Well there’s a reason for that. Not all businesses are the same, which means there isn’t a single site that works for every business. What I can do is give you a general idea and let you brainstorm where your company can fit in:

1. Linkedin is a great website for you to market your business to other businesses, as well as, to consumers. Join groups, get involved in discussions, answer questions that relate to your profession, simply just get involved. If done correctly, you will build creditability, new connections, and most importantly: new clients.

Big NO-NO: Don’t spam people with what you sell or any special offers. Prove yourself as a knowledgeable professional that everyone can trust first and not a salesperson looking to make a quick sale.

2. FaceBook is just everywhere. Businesses that sell to consumers will have easier success on Facebook in comparison to Businesses that sell to other Businesses. To market on Facebook, the approch has to be more relaxed and friendly, rather than straight to the point marketing messaging. Many brands who have an edgy approach to delivering their message (like a cool youtube video or just interesting things going on) will see great success in collecting a fan base. Just remember it’s not about the number of fans you have, it’s the number of participating fans who are your true target market.

Big NO-NO: Never remove any post that are negative about your company or products. Show the world your great customer service skills on how you can turn an unhappy customer to a happy customer.

3. Twiiter is great for one thing in my opinion: promoting events. Events can be anything from news events, recreational events, and to experiences at an event. I haven’t seen any case studies that I have proved me wrong till this point. If you disagree and have a case study, post it up!

Big NO-NO: Don’t tweet just for the sake of tweeting. If you are going to make a post, make it good. Your new potential and existing visitors will appreciate it.

4. FourSquare is great tool for businesses that need foot traffic or want to just gain exposure. Foursquare is an innovative tool that encourages users to explore different places in their city and learn what’s around them, almost like the yellowpages. Structured to be an insider’s guide to the city you are in, FourSquare helps you determine what places are good and what places are not. As a business you can help encourage more users to visit your business and provide incentives to those who visit the most. This helps to build your brand to the locals and shows what others think about your service/product.

Big NO-NO: Don’t get people you know to write fake reviews. In the long run it will not work in your favor. Instead use FourSquare to learn what users like or dislike about your business to help improve your offering.

5. YouTube is great if you have the resources to shoot video and edit it. Not something widely used by many businesses, YouTube can be a great alternative to create great video commercials about your business and spread the word. Simple solution would be to buy a Flip Cam and start practicing. You can also use youtube to promote slideshow presentations, software demos, how-to’s, and more.

Big NO-NO: Don’t use copyrighted information from others to create your video. 100% self creation is the best way to go to show how your business is different.

Hope that helps. If you have any other social media sites you want to know more about, please let us know.