Step 1- obtain the image buttons

First of all, you have to get the images of the buttons from certain sites that are specialized in this area. They usually have buttons for many networks in different shapes and colors, so there is no problem in finding something that you like.

Step 2-save the image buttons onto your computer

The second step is to save the social media buttons on the computer. Depending on the browser you are using, you may have to right-click the image and choose an option such as ‘Save image as’ or simply ‘Save’.

Step 3-link the buttons to your site

Afterwards, you have to host the chosen buttons so you can link to them on your website. If you have your own hosting, you can create a new folder in the public html area and afterwards upload the buttons by using FTP. In case you don’t have your personal hosting, you shouldn’t panic. There are other sites where you can do that such as Flickr or Photobucket.

Step 4-copy the URL of the button and add a widget on the sidebar

Copy the URL of the social media buttons and then add a suitable widget to the sidebar. If you have your own website, you can go to the widget or design area and simply add a ‘text’ widget to the sidebar. Those who have a blog or website that is hosted on another site can access the edit layout area and the search for ‘add a gadget’. The ‘html/javascript’ gadget can be added.

Step 5- add code to the widget

Since you previously copied the URL of the image, you can now add its code to the widget, which should look something like this: <a href=”URL where you want people to go” target=”_blank”> <img src=”URL where the image is hosted” border=”0” alt=”text that informs people about this button”> </a>.

It is not as difficult as it looks. First of all, after “a href=”, you must introduce the address where you wish readers to go to, for example if you have a Facebook or Twitter page, you should redirect them there. After the img src part you must introduce the URL you copied before that will lead to the hosted image.  In the alt text part you have to tell people what happens if they use that button (for instance, “Follow me on Tweeter”).

These quick steps will contribute to the traffic on your page and will make you famous on the social networks. It is hard to find clients for your services in today’s market, so that is why it is for the best to search new ways of capturing their attention. Social media buttons are ideal for people who wish to share information without too much trouble, only having to copy the link and place it on the website.

One of the most innovative creations of the last decade, Facebook allows any person with access to the Internet to connect to a network of millions of people. This is what makes it such a valuable promotional tool.

By targeting individuals with an interest in the services you provide, the social network enables you to establish a set pool of potential customers. Linking your Facebook page to your website is a smart decision to create interactivity.

The best way to do this is to add a custom Facebook like box widget to your website.

How to add the Widget

The process begins by creating a Facebook ‘fan page’. For any business, it is crucial that a fan page is created. With so many users on Facebook, you are hurting yourself by not making a page.

Once the page is created, you can add the widget by following these steps:

- Go to the right side of your fan page and click the ‘Edit Page’ button.

- On the left side of the page, there should be a list of tabs; click on the ‘Resource’ tab, which will bring up a new set of options.

- Go to the section titled ‘Connect with People’ and select ‘Use social plugins’

- The first option that comes up should be titled ‘Like Button’

From here, you will fill out the necessary information in order to create the like box. Here is some of the information you will need to provide:

- The URL of your site

- The size of the box

- Style of the box

- The color scheme

At that point, you will click the ‘Get Code’ button, which you can add to your site.

How to Customize

The required code is constructed of some important areas, which are highlighted. You can customize your page by changing these values. The first section is the ‘Like Page ID’ number. This is the number that is specifically assigned to your Facebook fanpage. You can find the page number by clicking on the ‘Edit Page’ button. The ID number will appear in the HTML bar at the end of the web address.

You will now alter the connections value. This section allows you to decide how many ‘faces’ will appear in the box. The faces are merely the profiles of your fans. It is best to use values of fives or tens in this section.

Alterations to the size of the box can be made by adjusting the height and width numbers. From here, you are ready to input the box on your profile. Copy the above code and paste it anywhere and you will have the fanpage widget on your site.

Define the audience

The very first thing you have to do is defining the audience. Do you need the plan for yourself, are you intending to attract investors or do you want to be financed by a bank? It’s important to answer these questions so that you know exactly what to do further on. If you’re just writing a guide for you, make sure that you include the most important information. For the investors you must show that you have revenue possibilities. The bank must also be convinced that your business is profitable.

Build a reliable team

The next step is building a good team. With a great staff you can always be sure that you’ll succeed. Thus, you should focus your plan on employee retention and recruitment. In this case, your plan must outline the compensations and benefits you’re offering to the staff. Don’t forget to think about the management team, because it’s crucial to have the best professionals in charge with leading the employees.

Don’t forget about the business plan

Many persons forget that a business plan should market you. The opportunities, the competition, the employees are all important, but the main reason for writing this strategy is promoting the company. Keep in mind that you must be creative and innovative in order to attract the audience. Moreover, use your budget, time and resources to develop significant marketing materials like a site.

Another important aspect regarding the plan is that it should define the training, business approach, discipline and sales process that are going to keep your business at the very top. In other words, explain exactly how you’re going to generate revenue. This should be the most significant part of the social media plan.

Know your numbers

Knowing the numbers is also very important, especially for managing the cash flow. For example, if you’re trying to extend your credit line, you should know your assets. For a marketing agency these are the accounts receivables and the contracts.

The opportunities are also crucial for your business so you should always map them out. Think about the companies you’re willing to work with, about those who afford you and about the industries that your interests and knowledge will compliment. Also, you must take into consideration your competition. State who your competitors are and outline your advantage over them. Last, but not least keep in mind that you should always be innovative in order to differentiate yourself from the others. Thus, every agency should be based on innovation.

So, writing a social media plan can be quite entertaining and simple when taking into consideration these steps.

Facebook is increasingly being used by businesses that want to stretch their already-thin marketing dollars while increasing their reach. Facebook’s marketing machine never stops, too. If just one user “likes” your site, then all of that user’s Facebook friends can see your site, too. The multiplying effect is one of Facebook’s most powerful marketing tools for businesses big and small.

Anyone can set up a Facebook fan page. Once all the key information is typed in and relevant photos, videos, content, etc., is loaded, you’re ready to go. But that’s sort of liking buying an expensive sports car, minus any options. Or, a better example, it’s like being offered all the options for free, then turning them down.

So below are a few sites to check out if you’re looking for free Facebook themes and profile backgrounds.

SPRUCE UP YOUR PROFILE

* Free Banners: More than a million use this site each month, due in part to its user-friendliness and wide selection of already-created banners.

* ProfileBanner.com:  You can publish a timeline cover or a graphic banner with this easy-to-use application. All you have to do is upload one of your own images or pick one of the site’s images.

* Webfetti: This site specializes in Timeline banners. Pick out one of their banners or customize your own.

* myFBBanners: They have a wide selection of banners, or you can create your own.

* Blingify: Blingify has a large selection of banners, covers, backgrounds and graphics, among other tools.

* The Facebook Banner: With a large selection to choose from, The Facebook Banner has several banners that would be particularly good for small businesses.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR THEME

* Facebook Page Templates: This site has dozens of paid and free templates, separated by category, including a number of templates that would work well for small businesses. The best part: You don’t need to type in a single line of code.

* FacebookiFrame Templates:  They have a number of free templates that are geared toward businesses.

VISUALLY APPEALING

A potential customer will go to your Fan page looking for a product or service. But if all they see is a bland page with the default settings, chances are, they won’t stick around. You want to give customers a reason to go to your Fan page. And once they are there, you want to give them a reason to stay on your site – and come back time and again. That’s where visuals come in handy. Customized templates and profile banners make your Fan Page look more professional, but it also makes it more visually appealing. Ultimately, customers are more likely to spend time on a site that’s visually appealing.

Success is relative in social media analytics

However, the most important thing that should be remembered about social media analytics is that the so-called ‘success’ is relative to the brand of the page which is being measured. By comparing a small business page to one which is nationwide, you’ll always get disappointing results, as this is an impossible achievement. Nevertheless, when it comes to tracking page metrics, not the big businesses are the ones which do the work. For instance, Facebook makes it very easy to track down these page metrics by sending a list of statistics to administrators each week, in which they include the growth in fans compared to previous weeks and the traffic to their page. These are then calculated into month averages in order for the growth in traffic and overall interaction to be reported. Moreover, Facebook is also able to report insights on each post made by page administrators, and also new graphs that display the user’s gender and his age range. These can be useful demographics which companies can easily use, even if they have a strict audience target.

Twitter and its new analytics platform

Concerning social media analytics, Twitter has just come up with a new analytics platform that allows all users to track down follows, overall traffic, un-follows and clicks, as well. This analytic service is different from the one Facebook has, as in addition to other similar metrics, this service is able to track down clicks, too. As Twitter is used most of all as a link-sharing service, tracking links is among the most valuable analytics it has. While this can be completed by using outside services, it has the ability of accessing data directly on the Twitter platform, by making it more accurately, more reliable and in the same time more convenient.

Great tools for social media analytics to consider

Besides these two main social media analytics, there are also several others that are able to track links and also mentions of different company products or names from the social media. Some great tools that can be used this way are Tweet-Deck, Bit.ly, Social Mention and TwitterFeed. Together with UTM tags, these allow you to track down clients from only an RSS feed published on Twitter some time ago. The posted links can also be tracked down in Google Analytics. This can help calculate the ROI, especially if links posted on Facebook or Twitter with UTMs tags are taking users to lading pages. The process can be simplified by using a shorter link for the UTM and URL tags, as this way it’s easier to write link URLs.

The first step will include going to the Twitter site, then logging in to the account. If you don’t possess an account, just click ‘Sign Up Now’ in order to create an account.

The second step will involve clicking on ‘Settings,’ as well as clicking on ‘Account.’

The third step will include putting a check inside the box which will state ‘Protect My Tweets.’ It is going to protect the tweets from the public, as well as is going to permit just the friends you’ve chosen to view the tweets. For other people to view the page, they have to request to become your friend, as well as get your confirmation.

Other Considerations

All that will be needed to set up your account includes your name, the display name, a password as well as your email address.

How you can send a Direct Message upon Twitter

Direct messages will include the feature upon Twitter that not just will enable you to send updates toward each of your followers simultaneously, it will additionally permit you to send updates to only a single individual. Plus, users of Twitter could allow phone support (mobile), as well as get direct messages through their smart phones.

1)The first step will be to just log onto Twitter through Twitter’s homepage.

2) Look at Twitter’s DM inbox, or you can click on ‘DM’ link within the sidebar on the right.

3) Choose the recipient’s name from your drop-down tab.

4) Type the private message. Then, you have to verify that this message is right, due to you not having the ability to alter it as it is sent. Click on ‘update’ to send your direct message.

Other Considerations

To send direct messages from your smart phone toward Twitter, write a message that has ‘d USERNAME’ in the start. Send this message to Twitter’s number, ‘40404.’ You could get a direct message from Twitter upon your smart phone. Just login to Twitter, click on ‘Settings’ then ‘Phone&IM.’Upon the sidebar upon the right, pick ‘Phone Notifications’ then pick ‘Direct Messages.’

Different add-on items which use the Twitter Application Programming Interface (API) permit you to send a direct message, too. If you do not involve a name, Twitter is going to post the message to the timeline in the public in which anybody can view it. Be cautious of posting sensitive or private content through direct messages on Twitter.

More businesses today are turning to Facebook’s powerful social media marketing tools than ever before. Simply put, a Facebook page is a great way to expand your reach globally. The reason? Facebook’s popularity.

While some people will find your company’s Web site, especially through methods like SEO, Google business directory, etc., Facebook’s reach should not be overlooked. And it’s a continuous marketing tool, too. Anytime someone takes an action on your Facebook Fan page, such as “liking” something, that activity is going to appear on that person’s Facebook wall. And that means, other people will see it, too.

Just how popular is Facebook as a business marketing tool? Next time you pick up a newspaper or watch a TV commercial, look for the Facebook symbol or any calls to action, such as “Like us on Facebook.”

Below is a brief tutorial for how you can start your own Facebook Fan page.

1) If you haven’t opened a Facebook account, now is the time to do it. You need a personal Facebook account to set up a business account.  It’s part of Facebook’s Terms and Services. You must use your real name and information. That information will not be on your Fan page, though, unless you put it there intentionally.

2) Look for the “Create a Page” link. It’s not easy to find. You can go to any page where you’re already a fan, scroll down, and look for “Create a Page” at the bottom left column.

3) Here’s a warning: Once you create a name for your site, it isn’t easy to change. So whatever name for your Facebook Fan page you choose, chances are, that’s the one you’re stuck with. In other words, choose wisely. Most business try to incorporate at least part of their company’s name, making it easier for people to find.

4) Now it’s time to customize it. Facebook has a very standard, no-frills default template. There’s nothing wrong with this, and thousands of business go with this option. Or you can try to customize it further, like changing the banner profile and template. Search on the Internet for companies that offer free pics, banner profiles, templates, etc. You can find plenty of free visuals. When choosing a profile pic for your Fan page, remember that this will appear on the page (right side) and as a thumbnail for all your posts. Most business use their company logo.

5) Now it’s time to get people to visit your page, or to “like” it. Some companies actually sell “likes” for a fee. Word of mouth, of course, works, too. But this is where leveraging your other marketing efforts will pay off. Mentioning your Facebook page through traditional advertising (like a print ad) or even adding a link to your Fan page as part of your email signature will generate more traffic.

Google Alerts for social media analysis

One of the most interesting social media analysis tools is Google Alerts. This free service is provided by Google and allows interested people to enter a set of keywords or a single keyword in order to track down whatever they want. Once it’s decided which keywords they want to monitor, people can also choose the frequency at which they want to be alerted and to match this to the initial keywords. Google Alerts is great to be used when you want, for instance, to track down your brand name. Postrank, on the other hand is a service you have to use in case you want to track down the ways your personal content is performing on the social web. By using the ‘Topics’ tool of this service, the impact your content has had can be measured. This measuring is based on various metrics, including shares on Goggle Reader, site comments, Facebook posts, tweets, and also other real-time web metrics. Even if the free usage for this tool is limited, the fee perceived for it after the maximum possible free usages isn’t high at all.

Klout, Twitalyzer and Socialmention for social media

Other social media analysis tools which are quite interesting are Klout, Twitalyzer and Socialmention.

• Klout is a Twitter tracking service, but also a monitoring tool able to break down your data into some kind of score in order to measure your influence, the ability of generating retweets, and the engagement levels of you and your audience, as well. This analysis tool can determine the content which was most retweeted and also the most popular links you shared over time.
• In the same way, Twitalyzer is also a Twitter influence tracking service able to offer data concerning places you rank on Twitter. This service measures data points, like for instance the number of times you’ve been retweeted, your engagement level, your impact and your follower’s content. This data can also be broke into weeks, days and even hours in order to help you find out when the content you tweet is best received.
• The latter social media analysis tool, Socialmention, resembles Google Alerts. After performing the search you want, the data which is returned to you will include measurements which are related to the sentiment surrounding the search, the excitement with which people talk about the search, the top keywords or the strength and enthusiasm with which someone talks about your brand.

Last, but not least, one of the most used free social media analysis tools is Google Analytics. This service is able to track traffic to different websites, to measure bounce rates, referrals and also other different metrics able to determine just how popular some sites are. The custom reports must be taken advantage of, as they’re also able to monitor the bookmarking sites and the social networks which are sending most traffic to one particular website.