More people are engaged in social media

More people are definitely using social networks – figures show 59% of active web users (those with access at least every other day) in 2009 have a social network profile, up 16% from 2008.

It’s not necessarily important that people are creating profiles, as this has been on the rise for some time, but rather where they are creating those profiles. People that have been in the “scene” for several years are accustomed to managing and maintaining multiple profiles, but Universal McCann says the new mainstream users are just focusing on one.

Remember who your target market is? Follow them

Several posts ago we discussed finding your target market and said that their location should influence your decisions for marketing. That rule still applies, and probably even moreso now. If your customers are spending most of their time on one social platform, that had better be the cornerstone of your web strategy. If they aren’t using the latest and greatest social tool, you probably shouldn’t be using it either.

Incorporate more options into what you do

Another interesting statement from the Universal McCann report says they are seeing a “decline or stasis” in the use of separate sites for individual activities. Instead, users are looking for a single social network that consolidates various tools and features into one place.

Keep this in mind when you are designing and developing your own initiatives. What can the user do on your site? Would they be more active if you could incorporate more functionality? Should you be integrating with their top social network instead of building something of your own?

Also important to note is that despite users’ tendencies to consolidate their social media activities, you should still give them options for how and when to engage with your brand. If your market does use several networks, give them those same options when interacting with you. Consolidation may seem easier for you, but it isn’t about you. It’s all about your customers.

Which platforms have you found to work best for your audience? Where do they congregate?

Your brand name is usually the first impression you have on a potential customer, so don’t you want it to be positive? The fate of the sale between your business and that consumer hangs in the balance during those few tense moments. Will you survive? Will they remember you?

How a good name can help

A good brand name does three things for your business:

• Identifies who you are
• Illustrates what you do
• Makes you memorable

This stuff is marketing 101. While there are highly successful companies and brand names that don’t do some of these things, you’ll be better off if you can build those qualities into your brand.

Do research online (or is that the first step?)

Aside from checking through all the legal channels around selecting your brand name, you also need to do some searching online.

If you’ve got the perfect name but it is a highly tarnished brand online, you probably don’t want to move down that route. At the same time, if you can’t get a good domain name that relates to your brand, you’ll be better off going back to the drawing board.

Get it right the first time

As you develop your marketing and web strategy, the internet (and your domain name) will be a key factor in everything you do. Starting things off with an unremarkable domain name (or with a variation of your name using .biz or .net) is going to be a big headache in promoting what you do, so you’ll want to get it right the first time.

Due to the remaining availability of good domain names, many entrepreneurs will make selecting a good domain name the first part of their branding process. It is always possible to switch to another domain name later in the process, but it can be a painful experience for you and your customers as you switch the technology over, change your branding, marketing materials, etc.

You have to be online

Phonebooks are landing in recycling bins just as fast as they can be distributed, while search engines and social media continue to rise in use as people look for the companies and brands they want to interact with.

Will your brand be there if someone is looking?

Remember: if they can’t find you online, you don’t exist.