Ten Steps to Get Started with New Media Marketing

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Kristen Luke

This was written with John Stone of Revenue Architects. I met John at Schwab’s IMPACT conference last year when he was giving a presentation on social media. Since then, we have collaborated on a couple of projects together. In this post, John and I combine our expertise to give you a roadmap of how to launch your new media marketing strategy.

You’ve likely learned about the potential role of social media in your marketing plan. You recognize how the explosive growth of social networking – with tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Viddler, BlogTalkRadio, and YouTube – is fundamentally changing the way your clients learn, evaluate and ultimately make their decisions. You recognize that these web 2.0 tools have an increasingly important influence in the buy-sell process. Buyers seek evidence online to validate decisions and get instant feedback from others by listening and participating in the online conversations.

We work with leading wealth managers and financial advisors who recognize that their clients are using social media and the web to help them evaluate an advisor. The content and professional credentials visible online are an increasingly important part of their decision process. Successful advisors use their online presence to drive new business. They use blogs, Facebook Groups / Fan Pages and Twitter to engage in the online conversation increasing referrals and attracting new clients.

However, new media marketing is not a panacea. Your online presence and activity won’t replace your existing relationship-building activities and the quality work you perform for your clients. Your approach to new media marketing must be authentic – engaged in meaningful activities around the quality of your work and building on your personal relationships. Tackled the right way, a new media marketing approach will further accelerate your growth.

But where do you begin? Which networks should you join? How do you build an online presence? How do you avoid introducing risk to your current brand? What is involved in using social media and inbound marketing techniques day-to-day?

To help you get started, we developed the following checklist. This ten-step plan will guide you in taking positive steps forward in your new media marketing plan. With a thoughtful approach and a committed strategy, you will be rewarded with professional online presence and accelerated growth.

Read more articles by Kristen Luke