An article on Mashable.com<\/a> also uses the same information compiled by bit.ly (URL shortener and link tracking), writing, \u201cthe company revealed that posting links to Twitter between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. ET (or 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PT) will give you the highest click rank, especially on days earlier in the week. Meanwhile, sending a tweet with a link after 8:00 p.m. should be avoided \u2014 as should posting links after 3:00 p.m. on Fridays.<\/p>\n I disagree only on the basis of what they point to as \u201cpeak times.\u201d I deal with a global clientele and followers, so I have to plan tweets for the same working hours in different time zones. I have noticed that even tweets at 2:00 a.m. (EST), have drawn responses from people in (PST) as well as those just starting their work day in western Europe as well as eastern Asia.<\/p>\n The key is to know your targeted audience, tweet at times they are most likely to see your tweet in their feed, which can fill up with 500 tweets within a minute, pushing yours far off the page. Tweet at optimal times, but not so much that your own tweets sent page looks like an endless list of the same tweet. Bit.ly, to its credit does note, \u201cby understanding the simple characteristics of each social network, you can publish your content at exactly the right time for it to reach the maximum number of people.\u201d<\/p>\n This also brings up the practice of mobile marketing. Have you made your site mobile friendly? If not, you are sorely behind the times and being left behind quickly. Think of it as jumping off a speedboat at night. Within 60 seconds you will be lost and either drown or be eaten by sharks\u2026 the sharks being your competition.<\/p>\n With a mobile site and mobile marketing to smart phones, an opt-in list will give you a willing audience who will read your messages sent directly to them. Better then a tweet, more ROI then email marketing and simple to maintain an active database.<\/p>\n SMS (Text) Marketing is the popular way of using mobile marketing as almost every single person is an active text user. Many of these people prefer texting to most other forms of communication and most people carry their mobile device with them at all times. With text marketing, you have the opportunity to contact multiple customers at the same time and they receive the message in real time. SMS message delivery can be guaranteed which makes it a preferred method to email in many instances and there is a greater open rate for texts as opposed to emails.<\/p>\n SMS marketing can also be \u201clocation-aware,\u201d so that if a potential consumer is nearby, you can send them a coupon or make them aware of time-sensitive specials. Foursquare<\/a> is a site\/application that you should check out if you want to offer pop up specials and sales.<\/p>\n Developing an application that promotes your business to a mobile user is another great way to harness the growing power of mobile marketing. Mobile apps are one of the hottest items available and you could apply the same concept to mobile games as well. Any application that builds your brand into a potential buyer\u2019s mobile experience is a great way to increase your business.<\/p>\n If you manufacture products, the same techniques apply. The main difference is you are marketing business to business. Mobile marketing will not fit your efforts as well as email marketing and print catalogs. If you specialize in small runs in, say a firm that manufactures promotional items, having a fan page on Facebook with Google ads (which are also good for retail sales) is quite effective.<\/p>\n If you sell services based on intellectual properties, such as web design, consulting or copywriting, there are different choices that must be made. Your site, naturally, must show samples of your work and contact information. Unlike ecommerce sites that show a product and the price, most freelance designers and photographers would rather field requests from prospective clients and price projects accordingly. There has been some discussion if it\u2019s a good idea to actually offer a price list so people surfing for design services can see costs upfront. By the same token, although it commoditizes design work, it also offers upfront payments of 50% or higher before the work begins and terms of sale the customer must accept before the project proceeds.<\/p>\n A design firm in England has found a unique middle ground to this question. Promo Design<\/a> hits the \u201cprocess,\u201d \u201cvalue,\u201d and samples of their work right up front on their home page. Their contact page asks the PROSPECT to layout all of their needs AND budget before the first contact is ever made. The pull down menu of budget will act to weed out the clients looking for a bargain but it still gives the salesperson at Promo a chance to negotiate the work and fee.<\/p>\n But how do you bring prospects to your site in the first place? Creatives tend to be drawn together in life and on social media. We follow other creatives, connect with them and spend an inordinate amount of time-sharing our work, dreams and disappointments. Misery does love company but how much time is spent on this commiseration as opposed to searching for solid business contacts?<\/p>\n When it comes to business, other designers aren\u2019t the number one source of work for us as freelancers or referrals. The dark side of relying too much on connections with other designers is that they can sabotage others. People can be petty and the current financial and competitive environment is fierce. Learn to trust your own efforts!<\/p>\n While your trusted friends, whether designers or \u201cnormal\u201d people, are great connections and should be treasured and nurtured, you need to seek out those who BUY your services.<\/p>\n LinkedIn is a purely business site for networking. It allows you to connect with some legitimate heavy hitters who buy creative services.<\/p>\n Build a list of a hundred dream clients. Search companies, identify the right people (not the CEO; try people who are in a position to book design projects) and build a list. Make sure you respond to every accepted connection with a personal note (via LinkedIn) to thank people for connecting with you and include your site URL for \u201cmore on me.\u201d<\/p>\n LinkedIn<\/a> has thousands of groups you can join and even more \u201cquestions\u201d that you can answer for awards for \u201cbest answer.\u201d Search for questions on marketing and answer how design helps marketing initiatives or advertising. Become an expert in the eyes and minds of possible leads who will need your services. There are some members of LinkedIn that like to give one-sentence answers that usually make no sense or don\u2019t even address the question. They like to have the \u201cmost questions answered\u201d title for all to see. Their reputations aren\u2019t the best on the site so think quality and not quantity! Good, sound answers show others you are knowledgeable about your field. Building trust with prospects is an important step in gaining new clients.<\/p>\n Groups allow you to create closer connections with prospective clients. Are you going to join the \u201cLovers of Joomla\u201d site or the \u201cSmall Business Marketing Ideas\u201d group? The latter is filled with people who need your services. The idea of marketing yourself is to reach out to prospective clients, not to be friends with other creatives. Leave that for local design group bitch sessions. The biggest mistake a creative makes is failing to network which, in its most simple state, is sales or selling yourself and your service. If you attended a college or university for the art program, you will have an alumni group that will contain members that were not art students and they have businesses that need design services. So, why not urge them to use a fellow graduate? Surely you talked to other people at that school\u2026 right?<\/p>\n Were you a member of a fraternity or sorority? Your brothers and sisters are no doubt members of a LinkedIn group. If not, then start a group. Starting a group puts you in charge and number one in the spotlight.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/webhostinggeeks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/promo.home_.jpg\")
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