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A few of my clients have been asking whether they should be blogging or using Facebook or Twitter to help their websites along in the online world. What they’re asking about is the “social web”, which is all about engaging with people who have similar interests,  reaching a wider audience, creating opportunities, connecting with people who might become clients or customers…networking.

What has this got to do with your website?

If you are selling services/products (eg. personal training, life coaching, web design, photography, jewellery, art, fashion styling)  then really the main aim of your website is to get people to contact you and enquire about or purchase your services/products. People may find your website through Google, but they will also find many other websites selling the same services/products, so how do you connect with people and let them know what you have to offer is what they want?

Blogging

Anyone can set up a blog for free using Blogger www.blogger.com or Wordpress www.wordpress.org and it really is as easy as signing up and starting to write. The value of a blog is that it gives you a less formal extension to your website where you can share updates on your latest work, your thoughts, what interests you and what might interest your clients or customers. This gives visitors to your website a reason to return and find out more about you, it also gives them a chance to comment and contribute.  Make sure you add a link from your website to your blog and from your blog articles back to your website so that the two are connected. Post photos (your latest work, an event you attended or held, something unusual - snowmen on Brighton beach!) or YouTube videos.

Take a look at the blogs my clients have set up for themselves:

http://meditationbrighton.blogspot.com/
http://brightonkettlebells.blogspot.com/
http://the-life-doctor.blogspot.com/

You can get a blog designed to match you website, but this isn’t strictly necessary, as the above show, it’s the content that’s important.

Facebook

Facebook is great for staying in touch with friends, family, ex colleagues, clients and making new contacts who share the same interest.
Create a fan page for your website and send it to all your contacts, next time they after something you can provide, they might get in touch.
Join Facebook groups and networks, post updates about what you’re doing, add links to your blog articles, ask questions, answer other peoples questions, share your expertise and get people interested in what you do.

If this all seems a bit tenuous, consider the following as a case study:

Brighton Kettlebells personal training has around 500 contacts on it’s Facebook profile. By promoting expertise through Facebook groups, Brighton Kettlebells has made connections with new clients, some who have travelled down to Brighton from the north as well as London for one to one specialised training workshops.

Brighton Kettlebells ran a successful 28 day weight loss programme in January 09. Again this was promoted through the Facebook profile and various groups. Half of those that joined the weight loss programme made contact via Facebook. Brighton Kettlebells also set up a private group for the programme so those that attended could stay in touch, offer each other support, and ask questions about the programme.

Twitter

Twitter describes itself as  “a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?” I didn’t quite see the point at first but I joined and now receive updates, or “tweets”, from designers around the world recommending the latest online articles and resources,  local contacts about events and completely pointless but amusing updates from friends that make me smile on a dreary Monday morning!  You can update your Twitter account through the Twitter website, from instant messenger or from your mobile phone, which makes it quick and easy! 

What has this go to do with your website? When you add new content, offer new services or write a new blog article add a link to this in a twitter update, it’s all about driving people back to your website to see who you are and what you do.

Brighton Kettlebells used Twitter during it’s weight loss programme in January 09 to keep the group focused, here is a snapshot of some of the updates sent…

The following article is a good read if you want to find out more about Twitter: Tweetable Art: 10 Twitter Tips for Artists

Other social/networking sites worth looking at are Flickr, Myspace, YouTube, Dripbook, Ning, LinkedIn, all have different a different focus, pick which suits you and your work/profession.

So..

If the social web seems like the realm of the bored office worker, take a closer look and you’ll see that A LOT of people are using it to promote themselves, their services and their work.

Tags: Blogging, Facebook, Social Media, Twitter