Networking – Forward Web

3 Reasons Why Social Media Matters For Your Business

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Forward_Web

In today’s day and age, marketing your business on social media is imperative in order to succeed in this competitive market. A large percentage of marketers agree that social media is important for successful business growth but, if you are not sure why, keep reading because Forward Web shares 3 reasons why social medial matters for your business in this article!

Reason #1: Increased Traffic to Your Website

One of the greatest struggles for a digital marketer is getting people to your site and keeping them there. The advantage of using social media is that it has the benefit of directing people straight to your site. For instance, Forward Web writes blogs regularly which are then shared across a selection of social sites and all links lead back to our website. Each interaction pushes that content in front of more people and this results in more opportunities for people to find our website.

You too can accomplish the same results by implementing this process. A lot of the social profiles now have the option to adding a link back to your website too. For example, Facebook and Instagram now encourages this connection with the implementation of the call-to-action button that links people directly to your app or website. Bottom line, the goal is to increase traffic to your website.

Reason #2: Increase Your Brand’s Exposure And Authority

For people to be more aware of your company, it is important to have a strong social presence and to constantly be engaging. Social media makes it possible to demonstrate not only that you exist but also that your business is functional and responsive, with current, interesting and relevant things going on. A simple share or retweet from your followers can change the way the message is delivered. This helps increase your brand’s exposure and authority tremendously as it amplifies your message, thus exposing you to more people.

Reason #3: Social Media Provides An Avenue For Contact and Feedback

As a business, social media is a fantastic and effective avenue for contact and feedback, it really opens up some doors of opportunity that might not have otherwise been available. This is a real opportunity to not only understand your customers’ experiences and quickly respond to their concerns or complaints, but it also helps you understand how your business is perceived. This information is a essential to make any necessary adjustments for constant and regular growth.

One of the reasons why so many people rely on social media nowadays is because users know they will get a speedy response through social media. It is pretty standard for customers to expect a reply within an hour and with that in mind it is important to monitor your accounts regularly. Feedback is highly useful and welcomed (even if it’s not always what you want to hear). In fact, unhappy customers could be considered a great opportunity for improvement and growth, after all, wouldn’t you want to know if a customer is unhappy or if your business has a problem? Think about it, if you can turn an unhappy customer around, they will be completely satisfied with the experience and be more inclined to spread the word.

As you can see, social medial can play a major role in the success of your business. Not because it can be used to push your way to the top of the results page but because it allows you to engage with your audience and build strong, long-term relationships, listen and respond to trends and feedback, and make and share amazing content. It takes some patience but the process is well worth the investment because over time, your influence will increase as people will find value in what your business offers. Would you like more information on this topic? Contact Forward Web today!

3 Reasons Why Having Business Cards Matter

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Forward_Web

Technology is a big part of our every day lives and just about everything we do in business is digital; we sign contracts online, send countless emails back and forth, attend meetings and even our networking is now done digitally! But, even though our technology is constantly evolving, there is one thing that will not be replaced any time soon, the business card. In this article, Forward Web provides 3 reasons why having a business card matter:

Having a Business Card Shows You Are Prepared

Imagine this: you are having a great conversation with someone and they ask you for your business information but for one reason or another, you have no business cards with you. What do you do? Do you write your contact information on a napkin and hand it over to them? Or perhaps you suggest they save your information in their phone but their phone happens to be dead? Either way, none of those approaches are professional.

Instead, if can simply pull out a business card and hand it over to the person who wants to do business with you will demonstrate that you are prepared and a great indicator that you are professional. Ending conversations with “let me give you my business card” is still very effective.

A Professional Business Card Is The First Impression Of Your Brand

Anytime you make contact with someone, you want to make a great first impression (especially when they could potentially be a great prospect or connection). What better way to make a great impression than with a professional business card! A memorable business card does a lot more than just pass on an email address or phone number.

Investing in a professionally designed business card is extremely valuable. The last thing you want your new connection to do is associate your business brand with the word cheap. An professionally designed business card not only makes a great first impression but they can also serve as an effective icebreaker. Conversations don’t always have to end after handing over your card, in fact, oftentimes a unique business card will fuel a conversation even further!

Business Cards Are The Most Effective Direct Marketing Tool

When it comes to marketing tools, there are many options available; from email marketing to effective search engine optimization and paid media, they all do a fantastic job of attracting leads and prospects however, they will never be AS effective as an face to face meeting sealed with a handshake and a business card exchange.

You could potentially run into lead or prospect opportunities every time you walk through your front door. Whether your day consists of a going to a conference, an airport, lunch, doctor appointment, grocery store even happy hour, opportunities are all around you. For this reason, it is important to make sure you have business cards with you at all times to ensure you will never miss an opportunity to make a valuable connection.

Business cards are not outdated yet, and as you can see, there are many great reasons why you should invest in professionally designed business cards. True, it is an expense but it is an expense well worth investing in because the fact of the matter is that you can never have too many business cards and they are an fundamental part of your business! For more information or if you are interested in our professional and custom business card design service, make sure to contact Forward Web.

Tips For Networking At a Business Networking Event

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Forward_Web

Networking events offer fantastic opportunities for your business. For this reason, you don’t want to take the chance to just show up to a conference and wing it. Instead, you want to make sure you take a dedicated approach and be prepared to gain the greatest benefits for the growth of your business. The following are tips Forward Web recommends for effective networking at a networking event:

Tip #1: Have A Plan

You want to go to a networking event with a plan. Know what your main goal is, what you want to accomplish and also determine what you want to learn and gain from each conference you attend. In fact, write a few points down; give yourself measurable guidelines to help you stay on track. Set specific goals which can include: collecting a specific amount (set a number) of emails or phone numbers, finding a specific amount of promising business leads or handing out a specific amount of business cards.

Tip #2: Use The Internet To Connect

The internet is a fantastic tool and especially useful when preparing for such an event. It is wise to become familiar with all of the online resources available to you about a conference you are thinking of attending and use them to your advantage. For instance, you can search for information about the presenters and attendees and connect with them on social media beforehand. Do extensive research and get familiarized with companies and people before you attend. Doing so will prepare you with talking points and keep you consistently engaged.

Keep in mind that nowadays everyone uses hashtags on social media. Most conferences have related hashtags you can search to find other attendees. Also, some conferences sometimes have their own social platforms so keep an eye out for those because they offer exclusive opportunities to connect.

Tip #3: Make Your Attendance Known

Make a public announcement! Use the tools you have such as your website and social media accounts to let everyone know you are attending a conference. For example, you can make a free survey available on your website to ask your customers what they would like to learn if they were going to a conference themselves or use twitter polls for the same purpose. Set out to be your audience’s advocate and use this information to create content and publicity around your attendance.

Tip #4: Mix and Mingle

Do not, we repeat, do not go to a conference just to quietly isolate yourself from everyone, stand off to the side or hide behind your phone. This is not the time to check your email or Facebook notifications. Be alive, engage, be active, be present and interact. Remember, you are there to network! Don’t waste an opportunity for growth.

Tip #5: Branding with Style

Stand out by bringing some great stuff to give to people you connect with. For example, you can offer branded key chains, pens, stickers, magnets, notebooks, pencils, t-shirts which are all easy to carry and any person you meet can use. Make sure to add your business info to all your promo items and remember that a little company style goes a long way!

Tip #6: Offer Exclusive Discounts

Everyone loves a discount therefore, offering an exclusive discount to conference attendees is a great opportunity to extend your services to those you connect with. For instance, you can have a sign-up form available on your website that offers other conference attendees a discount code in exchange for their email address. Remember that the people you connect with are potential customers, referrals (or referrers) and/or investors.

You now have some really good and effective tips, with some great examples for you to succeed at your next networking opportunity. Don’t forget to have plenty of business cards with you at all times. Your business cards should be professionally designed and they should have relevant and updated information (that includes phone number, business email address and website) and make sure you have plenty of them, you can never have too many business cards. You have all the tools necessary to get out there and make amazing connections and if you need help with any of these things, Forward Web is more than happy to be of assistance!

5 Reasons Why Social Media Marketing is Important For Your Business

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Forward_Web

As a business, in today’s day and age, your digital storefront extends to social media marketing sites (like Twitter and Facebook). Nowadays, it is not enough to only have a website for your business. You certainly don’t want to risk falling behind your competition therefore, it is time to start capitalizing on social media marketing! Forward Web provides 5 great reasons why social media marketing is important for your business:

Reason #1: It will get you more sales!

It is simple; Your customers are more likely to buy from you when they need the service or product you sell if you stay in front of your customer base. Social media is a great tool that not only keeps your company’s name in front of potential buyers, but also gives you the opportunity to constantly give them incentives to buy. For example, try posting and/or tweeting coupon codes (good only to those who are your Twitter or Facebook followers) and you will be surprised by how many people actually use the code.

Reason #2: It gives you the opportunity to observe your target market up close and personal.

The ability to interact with your customers is part of what makes marketing with Twitter and Facebook so awesome (and effective). You get to read their status updates and tweets to get insights into their daily lives. As a result, this gives you the upper hand and allows you to adjust your marketing strategy as needed.

Reason #3: It doesn’t cost you anything!

Ok, nothing could possible beat that! (Especially if you handle your own social media management). If you are inexperienced with social media, or your writing skills are a little rusty or perhaps you might feel intimidated by even the thought of interacting with people online, no problem! Hire a professional PR (Public Relations) company or a company that specializes in web marketing and/or social media management company, such as Forward Web.

Posting poorly written content on social media sites could give a bad impression or even transmit the wrong message, affecting your digital PR presence negatively. Therefore, although there is a cost when you hire a company to manage your social media marketing, it is completely worth it and you will definitely see a return on your investment.

Reason #4: The social media marketing arena is a fairly level playing field.

In the past, companies needed to invest millions of dollars to run traditional ad campaigns in order to succeed but, contrary to the brick and mortar companies we are all used to, all companies start off on equal footing when it comes to social media marketing. Today, if you want to get the most traffic and increase your online sales, you must out-write, outwit and out-network your competition while offering superior products. Your success depends on whether you use the most clever, attention grabbing tactics and the most useful link-worthy content, you have to stand out.

Reason #5: You can address problems immediately.

Of course, you will want to know if there is a problem with your product or service immediately. Social medial marketing is a great source for useful feedback, which is a exceptional way to ensure that you will be the first to know if there are any issues and fix them as soon as possible. After all, the customer is always right and consumers appreciate companies that respond to customer complaints in a timely manner.

As you can see, the reasons why social media marketing is essential for your business are many. Social media marketing is key and there really are so many advantages that you can benefit from it, make sure you are on top of this aspect of your business and you too will succeed tremendously! Make sure to contact Forward Web if you still you have questions or want to inquire about our social media management services!