Mediaboss Marketing

Ilana Rabinowitz is a "lion" in ecommerce and social networking. As Vice President of Marketing for the Lion Brand Yarn Company, she built a newsletter with over 1 million subscribers, launched an award winning podcast and blog, and created a presence on social media outlets that gives Lion Brand Yarn a circulation greater than all of the trade publications combined.

Ilana writes and blogs at Social Media Explorer and Marketing Without a Net, Google Plus and Twitter.

EcommerceBytes caught up with Ilana to find out some of the secrets of successful social networking for ecommerce players.

Do you see social networking as an important tool for online sellers who may not have a nationally known brand?

Ilana Rabinowitz: I think social networking is most important for companies that are not nationally known brands. This is because people do business with companies they know and trust.

If you are not a known brand, you have to help people to learn about you and develop trust by showing them that you know your product and you are there to be helpful, every day, when you're not selling, by providing useful and relevant content. This doesn't happen by broadcasting marketing messages. It happens by sharing information and telling your story on social media.

Online sellers also need to be on social media because people often make buying decisions based on the ideas and recommendations of friends.

What are three social networking sites where all online sellers would be participating and, if you chose just one, which one would it be and why?

Ilana Rabinowitz: Choosing the right social networks for your business is not a simple one-size-fits-all question. It depends on how much time you have to devote to social media, what your goals are, who your audience is and what your resources and talents are.

I would never recommend that anyone try to conquer three at once. It would overwhelm any small business. Anyone just starting out should realize that while there may not be an out of pocket cost, there is a time commitment, and to do it right means that one or more people will need to set aside time to seriously dedicate to it.

Read more from the original source:
Social Networking Most Important for Small Ecommerce Players