[Uncle Skeleton]

My boss approached me the other day and asked if I had any good ideas about how to market our business on the internet. Well... about 15 years ago I felt like I had a feel for the internet, but now I really don't. I don't use twitter or the f-word, and I'm pretty sure there are other site-names that I don't even know enough to renounce.

So, like, what's the cool way to communicate and spread the word about your business to internet peeps? Under what stones should I look?

[subego]

What the **** are you trying to sell?

[ort888]

This internet is really going to be the next big thing.

[andi*pandi]

facebook live, live tweeting, it's all about right now, apparently.

also the snapchats and the instapix.

[Doc HM]

Start an online forum or message board.

[The Final Shortcut]

I think I speak for all the kids when I say I can't wait for companies who haven't been keeping up with that gol-darned internet to start snapchatting me

[ort888]

Go onto online comment sections and tell people how much money they can make per month by working from home.

[Doc HM]

You remember the internet from 1995. You won't believe these amazing pictures of what it looks like now!

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by The Final Shortcut 

I think I speak for all the kids when I say I can't wait for companies who haven't been keeping up with that gol-darned internet to start snapchatting me

it will be on fleek.

no i do not know what that means, precisely, but am assuming it is along the lines of "on target"

[reader50]

The ads I've been seeing (as in noticing) lately are Youtube ads. They're unskipable for the first few seconds, and persistent. If they're interesting enough, I even watch them through. The first or second time anyway. By the 10th time, they get skipped as soon as possible. Of course, video ads only work if your product / service does something visible.

Oversized banners seem to be the thing lately, and a big contributor to ad blocking.

Ditto what subego says. It would help to know what you want to sell.

[Thorzdad]

The common advice these days is to have an active social media presence...Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. etc. Maybe even a blog on your website. Trouble is, this advice is applied in a one-size-fits-all manner, and really isn't applicable to every business. If you're selling urinal cakes, I can't see a Twitter account doing much for you.

[subego]

#DontEatTheBigWhiteMint

[Uncle Skeleton]

Yep, it is urinal cakes.

[Jawbone54]

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. However, to echo everyone else: it really depends on your product.

I hate Facebook, but the level of interactions dwarfs anything else.

[Uncle Skeleton]

Ok, the product is after-school tutoring

Are there contractors that do social media for you? I assume there are. I can't foresee anyone here taking the time to do it personally.

[andi*pandi]

There are people whose whole job is social media. My company just hired one, because inhouse staff was getting too busy, so they hired a hipster doofus. He is dazzling them with facebook live videos.

I can see your field having educational youtube hints/suggestions. Give away a nugget of info in the name of self-promotion.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

Ok, the product is after-school tutoring

Are there contractors that do social media for you? I assume there are. I can't foresee anyone here taking the time to do it personally.

Oh, holy cow... Y'all could definitely benefit from it. You guys might seek out an intern as a trial.

Facebook Live demos of your sessions could be invaluable. It might even benefit you to do some advertising through FB.

[subego]

What's the more important demographic to hit? Is it students or parents?

[starman]

The internet is nothing but SJWs shaming people for wearing blue on a Tuesday and making sure those people are fired from their jobs.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by subego 

What's the more important demographic to hit? Is it students or parents?

the parents are the ones doing the research, usually.

[subego]

So, we want social media for squares.

[subego]

Searching Facebook for old classmates to have an affair with? If you had gotten a tutor back then, they'd be searching for you.

This message brought to you by Skeleton Learning Services.

[andi*pandi]

It means when I search for a vendor and find their website, finding links to their youtube channel full of tips, or a twitter feed with relevant tweets, is useful.

[subego]

I think videos are an excellent idea, but YouTube is a horrible social media platform for a brick and mortar business trying to target local adults.

The only value it has is as a free CDN.

[subego]

With Twitter, I feel that would be more useful to maintain existing leads rather than expand the business. No one's going to follow the account unless they're kind of on board in the first place.

[reader50]

Originally Posted by subego 

What's the more important demographic to hit? Is it students or parents?

Unless the kids are in college, target the parents.

I'm reminded of an old comic strip. Dentists trying to sell braces to adults. The reason? - they noticed adults have way more money than kids.

[subego]

I was definitely thinking along these lines, but I wanted to give the little shits the benefit of the doubt.

Certainly when I was a kid, the last thing I would have done with tutoring info is pass it along to my parents.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by subego 

With Twitter, I feel that would be more useful to maintain existing leads rather than expand the business. No one's going to follow the account unless they're kind of on board in the first place.

why would I want to follow a commercial study tips twitter feed? or even facebook feed? No no. I refer to it when evaluating hiring decisions.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by starman 

The internet is nothing but SJWs shaming people for wearing blue on a Tuesday and making sure those people are fired from their jobs.

Actually, there are only three of those people, and two are doing it ironically. Most of the internet is people complaining about those people that barely exist.

[Uncle Skeleton]

This thread has been a fantastic help. Thanks all, very much, and if you have any more ideas or details, I'll be on the edge of my seat. I really didn't know where to start, and now I do.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by subego 

I think videos are an excellent idea, but YouTube is a horrible social media platform for a brick and mortar business trying to target local adults.

The only value it has is as a free CDN.

Exactly.
1) upload cool/helpful videos
2) settings>shut off comments
3) plugins>install youtube channel etc
4) display videos on own website, bypass youtube trolls entirely;
there is no step 5
6) winning at teh social medias.

[subego]

If free hosting is all someone can get out of a social media platform, I'd hesitate to say they were winning said platform.

I don't think a gift horse should be looked in the mouth, but it's a horse, not a Ferrari.

[andi*pandi]

what is winning on youtube? getting a million followers of your video game walkthrough channel? How many people really do that?

Vimeo is for the artsy. If he were a video production expert, actor, or filmmaker, that would be a better place.
Self hosting is expensive. Akamai, mirrorimage, etc, are just way out of the realm of small business.

[subego]

There are cheap CDNs, and they'd be using almost no bandwidth, but I didn't say using YouTube to host videos was a bad idea anyway.

Let me put it this way... I don't think getting free video hosting out of YouTube is the confounding part of social media.

[andi*pandi]

Most social media is brand-building. If readers share your stuff and make it viral, super bonus.

(ha, I had last word!)