Engage With Your Community

Decrease your spending and increase potential clients and buyers through the new wave of digital marketing.

It's time to use a more integrated, targeted, and brand-building strategy to create a buzz and reputation customers will associate with your company. The new platforms include blogs, podcasts, virtual worlds, web communities, and social media. The beauty of these mediums is the initial investment of time and not money.

There are a lot of tutorials on how best to use digital marketing, but it all boils down to a few simple lessons: be transparent as a brand, engage in conversations with your customers, and use multiple platforms to establish credibility and reach a wider audience. Twitter and Facebook are a great place to start with their ease of use and the vastness of their communities. Start a page, begin engaging in conversations, and don't over-promote. The brand itself is going to have to cede some control to the customer and trust the process.

Become active in the various ratings systems such as Yelp. These sites are only growing and a few bad reviews can be costly to your business in the same way a good review can help. Ask why people had a negative experience and what you can do to rectify the situation. The beauty of sites like Yelp and Twitter is the ability to identify unhappy consumers and change their minds.