• Request free online quote
• View our design portfolio
• Pay monthly option

How can we help you?

• Easy Apps for the Small Business
• Static Brochure Websites
• Content Management Systems
• E-commerce Applications
• Search Engine Optimisation
• Database Design
• Corporate Identity
• Flash & 3D Modeling and Animation
• Screencasts - Video Guides
• Professional Copywriting
• Artistic Photography
• Web Hosting and Domain Names

Services by business type

• Small Business Solutions
• Medium Size Business Solutions
• Corporate Solutions

Latest articles

Promoting your Business Online:
Why you Need to employ Social Networking

Are you on Facebook? Do you Tweet, or blog? If you answer ‘No’ because you think you’re too busy running your business to bother with online social networking, perhaps you should reconsider. When used correctly, social networking platforms are powerful business tools that enable you to:

Make potential customers aware of your company.

Facebook alone has more than 350 million users, and it’s still growing! How much would you have to spend on conventional advertising to reach even a tiny fraction of that number?

Keep in touch with existing customers.

Build brand loyalty by letting customers be the first to know of special offers and new products. Gain valuable feedback by asking for their opinions and questions.

Drive more traffic to your website.

Whenever you post anything on a social networking site, make sure it contains a link to your business website, even if you’re commenting on an unrelated topic. That way you’ll be enticing visitors to learn more about what you offer.

Make contact with other people in your industry.

Swapping ideas and experiences with people running similar businesses to your own can be inspiring and very helpful. Obviously you won’t want to give away your trade secrets, but brainstorming with others to solve common problems, or asking advice from someone who’s ‘been there, done that’ is far better than struggling on your own. Who you know is always important in business, and a friendly online relationship can lead to new opportunities.

Find new business contacts.

Need to find suppliers, distributors, or other specialist services? Want an insider’s view of business in Alaska, or Zanzibar? Take a look at networking sites like LinkedIn, which is used by over 65 million business professionals worldwide. And when you add your own profile, they’ll be able to find you!

Keep up to date with new developments and trends.

Find out what the experts in your field are saying today. Drop in on conversations between consumers to gauge their likes and dislikes. If you want to be one step ahead of the competition, social networking sites are often where the latest news starts.

Although it’s easy – once you’ve got used to the jargon and understand the symbols in Twitter messages – using social networking platforms to promote your business does have a few drawbacks. It’s all about interacting with other people. If you simply post advertising material on your blog and ignore anyone who takes the trouble to comment on it, you won’t have many readers. You must be prepared to engage in conversation, answer questions, and follow people you find interesting. All this does take time from your working day.

At the other extreme, social networking can be addictive and you have to guard against losing sight of your business objectives as you become too involved in the lives of your new ‘friends’.

If you’re not sure which social networking platform(s) will suit your business, or you don’t think you can spare the time to get the best results, ask Core Media Design for advice. They can set up the accounts for you and fully manage them if you wish, so all you have to do is reap the benefits.