Modern Online Marketing On a Minimal Budget

A solid understanding of how often and how much your customers buy is important to the modern marketer. But the modern marketer must also look into why people make the purchases the way they do. Prospect marketing on the internet can be tricky, you want to target the right demographic without spending endless dollars flooding the web with ads - ads likely to get lost among the endless masses.

In 1970, it was estimated that the average American saw between 300 and 500 ads in a day. Today that number has increased 10 fold to 3,000 to 5,000 advertisements a day. I would even argue that 5,000 advertisements a day is a conservative estimate with smart phones and those video monitors that seem to be popping up everywhere. So finding a way for you to reach your customers and more importantly for them to easily find you on a tight budget can be tricky. Social media and pay-per-click advertising are great ways to make your presence known to potential clients, but the most effective internet promotions engage people away from their computers in addition to on them.

Why People Buy Things

Okay, so there isn't a clear cut answer for every decision people make (what with free will and all), but generally people are satisfying a want or desire when making a purchase. We do not shop based on our needs because, at least in America, most basic needs are met. Instead we make our purchases, even of essential items, based on our wants and aspirations. 

Modern Americans need laundry detergent (at least I like to think we all use it regularly), but some people will only buy Tide, or some other name brand. We all know those people that will never buy a store brand product. Why is that? Their desire to feel wealthy or the belief that because it costs more it must be better and I want the best, not the most functional. A placebo effect gives many of these people a greater satisfaction of their purchase. Even though the product is the same: Soap. For more about selling to needs check out: Marketing to Modern Americans: Selling Desire over Necessity

Social Media

Social media is a low-cost effective way to communicate with your current and potential clients, but you must stay active and persistent with it. Make sure you are active on a daily basis and are posting new content at least once a week. Also, diversify your content. Try to include some graphics, some articles, and videos if they are relevant or better yet; you can produce them. In addition, everyone has a twitter page and a blog, so make sure to link all your sites together, and re-post relevant articles from outside sources. The more you cross promote the quicker your following will grow.

Pay-per-click

A great way for small companies, companies with tight advertising budgets, or highly specialized industries to advertise is through pay-per-click ads. Many websites have great offers for this and Facebook is a prime example. You can select how much your willing to spend and only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. 

You can spend as little as $15 a month or spend thousands. Even better, with Facebook and other social media sites, people volunteer information about themselves, so you can select specific demographics you want to show your ad to. Giving you the right exposure in the right places at the right price! Just remember, you pay for them to click on the ad, but you need to keep them on your site, so investing in the presentation quality and content on your site matters in addition to the advertising for it. 

Don't Only Use Internet Marketing Online

Coordinate a campaign that includes other mediums. Sending a direct mail piece that encourages someone to check out an offer online might not always get them to go to the site. But having seen your offer in their mailbox, they are much more likely to click on your Facebook ad or read your blog later. If you only plan on advertising online then make sure you have a wide variety of content that has some coordinated message. Giving your prospective customers a clear understand of how your business fulfills their wants by stimulating different emotions or senses through videos, images, music, and text. The more tangible your business becomes in their lives, the more satisfying your business will become!

Interested in More Information on Synergy Vx and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

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By: Will Pearlman

Expanding your Social Media Beyond Just Facebook and Twitter

Social Media: Are You Walking in a Maze To Get Lost In?

Social Media Marketing is an important part of most businesses. An online presence broadens your customer base in ways traditional advertising cannot. However, with the seemingly endless number of social media sites, how do you know which ones are worth your time and which ones aren't?

We all know the standard: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. These sites are essential for a social media campaign. Everyone is on them. If your not, your strange. Beyond the Big 3 though, which sites work for marketing your business, and which sites are a waste of your time? 

With So Many Social Media Sites,
Pick Only the Best Ones For Your Business

Much of determining this comes from what type of business you have and how you are looking to market it. Some sites, such as Digg and Reddit are great resources to create additional exposure for your blog and written content. Adding yourself to these sites will help you generate traffic, but they are not necessarily the best sites for visual information. If you are an art gallery and looking to display works, Pinterest and Dribbble (no that is not a typo, there are 3 'b's) are more likely to represent your brand better. With all the sites out there, do your homework before committing to a social media site which might not represent your brand in the most efficient way. 


The most important aspect of these minor social media sites is the additional exposure they give to your site, so make sure everything you post is linked. Additionally, make sure you update it regularly. The quickest way to loose your internet presence is to be inconsistent with your posts.

Social Media Content is Like Food!
People Want It Fresh! So Update Your Content Consistently

For blogs, make sure you have new content at least once a week. For sites like Facebook, make sure you post something new every few days if not more frequently. And for businesses, posting on Twitter daily is highly recommended.

Now all that seems like a lot of time spent on social media. But thankfully, you don't have to do it all alone. While there are thousands of social media sites out there, there are just about as many programs that help you manage your social media sites, like HootSuite just to name one. These sites allow you to post one message across some, one, or all of your social media pages. More importantly, using these sites you can schedule posts at specific times and dates, months in advance, if you choose.

Schedule Your Social Media
So You Don't Feel the Pressure
of Keeping Up With It Everyday!

Facebook and Twitter are excellent but overpopulated resources. In order for them to really help your company, you must explore other social media sites and build a network across multiple platforms. While we all live in the world of instant celebrity and viral videos, building a business presence through social media takes time and hard work, so be patient and persistent, and the followers will come.


By: Will Pearlman


Synergy can help you with all your marketing needs, get a FREE quote online or call us at 877-466-0635.

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Managing Your Social Media Presence(s)

Social media is taking over the world. Whether for business, or personal use, everyone needs to maintain an online presence. But with over 350 various networks in which to belong, it is all to easy to overwhelm yourself into abandoning the project all together. 

The first phase is to determine where you should be marketing. Besides what I like to call "The Big 2" (Facebook and Twitter), most social media sites are designed to serve a specific function. Pinterest is better for people looking to use photos and visuals. However, if your looking to post written text and links, Tumblr is designed for blogs. For most businesses though, you shouldn't try to expand into all of these sites, just find the 3 or 4 that work for you.

In my experience, the best bet is to do what you know, and do it well. Unlike marketing for a brand, which needs a consistent aggressive presence over a wide range of networks; maintaining a personal online presence can be much more lax. So pick your favorite network, or your favorite few networks, and make them most of them. "Pimp" out your profile with apps and add-ons, post (appropriate) pictures, and let others know whats up with you. The real secret to successful social media networking is that your profile is not about you. It is about what you have to share with your friends.

A rookie mistake for social media newbies is also to have your twitter feed (or Facebook Status') linked to auto post to other networks (ie, linked in). Tweets are for twitter only. If you post everyone of your tweets to every single social network you are on, you will make your audience crazy. Twitter is designed to have a live stream of constantly updated recent news and events. 50 tweets in a day won't bother anyone on twitter, but 50 Status updates, will leave you with no Facebook friends. So Remember, each network is unique, with its own unique purpose a separate audience. "Target" your posts to the network you are using. For example, twitter followers tend to respond to updates about "trends" or current events, while your friends on linked in would appreciate a relevant blog post, link, or article. 

By using each network as it is intended, you not only maximize your social presence, but you also eliminate the need for surplus accounts (and maybe save yourself some sanity... and time, you can spend interacting with human faces instead of computer monitors). 

Several programs exist to allow you to do this cheaply and effectively. The most widely used being Hoot Suite. Hoot Suite allows you to post on multiple sites at once or just one. You select which sites and what to post, and when to post it. Take advantage of these programs if you aren't already, it will make your social media life easier and more efficient!

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By: Will Pearlman

Combining Print and Social Media Marketing: Augmented Reality and Digital Watermarks

Modern Marketing has shifted to weighing heavily on social media and the internet. In part, because it is cheap and it can be effective, sometimes. As the marketplace dynamically changes on a weekly basis with the latest app, finding the latest ways to integrate your online and traditional marketing are the key to business success. Here are some of the latest ways using Augmented Reality and Digital Watermarks!

Aurasma

One of the coolest current technologies out there is an app called Aurasma. This app uses whats called, Augmented Reality Actions or Auras to display videos on a piece of mail through the app on your phone. Which video plays can even be coded by several criteria.

Aurasma Demo:

The Pros:
This type of technology is very cool and highly engaging. Aurasma is an app they would have to download for this to work so including this in an ad where you say something like, "watch this postcard come to life using Aurasma from the App store" could intrigue someone into checking your ad out, just out of curiousity, even if the offer doesn't catch their eye.


The Cons:
The one MAJOR con is that this technology is not widespread yet. Most people won't even pick up on the idea that the postcard can turn into a video through their smart phone. You definitely would have to explain how to use the feature on your advertisement. I listed this as a pro as well, but that depends on your demographic. If you are marketing to a tech-savy group, then this would be a great way to engage them. However, for the average person, this might be a little too advanced at least at the moment. Moreover, effective video content is not always the cheapest or easiest thing to produce, especially for small and local businesses.

Layar

Another great technology, especially for those who offer a variety of products, is called Layar. Layar allows you to add digital links and information on your phone when holding it over the mail piece. It operates in a similar manner to Aurasma using augmented reality.

Layar Demo:

The Pros: This is extremely valuable to anyone who would use a catalog. This would allow your customers to flip through a catalog and when they like a product, they can simply hold their phone over the catalog and place an order or find out more information. Allowing your customers to have the tangible catalog with the ease of digital media will make their experience interactive and more enjoyable. Layar also works well with regular mail pieces as well, allowing you to add digital content to any mailer.


The Cons: Similar to Aurasma, Layar is still new technology that most people are unfamiliar with. However, this app is much simpler to use and I would expect it to catch on much quicker than Aurasma.

Digimarc

The last app I'll talk about for now is Digimarc. Digimarc is similar to Layar in that it is a way to place digital media on a printed mailer. However Digimarc goes a little further by creating a watermark. Unlike layar, where the content is place above the mailer, Digimarc places it in the mailer. The app acts almost like a secret decorder ring from those sugary cereals we ate as kids.

Digimarc Demo:

The Pros: Digimarc is a good tool to catch people's attention on an ad: "Use the Digimarc app to decode a secret offer in this mailer!" It is also relatively easy to use and actually integrated into Pinterest. Digital watermarks are the future, because they do not require any visible mark, that means no QR code!


The Cons: Digimarc is a little more complicated to use and everything must be printed on the image. However, with digital watermarks, be careful if you make a "secret offer" you are not isolating those customers without smart phones or those who just don't use the app. Also, digital watermarks aren't quite as impressive or advanced as augmented reality, but it is currently more widely used.

Interested in more information on Synergy and how we can help your business grow? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly and knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

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By: Will Pearlman

The 3 Basic Themes of A Viral Video

Nowadays everyone wants to grow their online presence and exposure. Nowadays everyone wants to be a part of the "online sensation." Nowadays everyone is posting a blog, creating a Facebook group, and adding a Twitter account. But, nowadays your blog is just another one among billions. So how do you differentiate yourself from the others in a cluttered cyber universe? The answer is viral. 

(Source: http://beinglatino.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/viral-videos.png)

We all know about viral videos, games, photos, websites, etc . . . They catch like wildfire and within a week a page can go from 100 views to 10 million. But what elements cause something to go viral? If everyone could make something worth being viewed 10 million times everyone would. However, if you examine most internet sensations, you can simplify viral phenomenons into 3 simple categories:

1. Shocking

A shocking video usually generates traffic on any site. Whether its because of violence or absurdity, if it surprises people, especially if it is unscripted (or semi-scripted such as a flash mob), they will be drawn to it. While most businesses would not want to draw traffic for a "shock" video, for some companies, this might be an effective way to bring your target demographic to your site. However, many consumers can be turned off if you choose the wrong type of "shock." A scary video that makes you jump at the end might be good for a movie company, but if your a financial planning firm, shocking your potential customers might not be the way to go.

(Source: http://www.blogkindle.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/shocked.jpg)

2. Humor

Humor in viral videos can be achieved in many ways. For the internet, the most popular videos tend to be awkwardly funny. Unless they are highly scripted and situational (which usually means you have a decent budget), awkward videos are a great way to make people laugh, get your brand recognized, and avoid blowing your budget. Maybe your video is an awkward customer being helped by your friendly employee but the customer is so awkward it is humorous. You could make the video a confusing everyday situation or just a really strange combination of things in a photo that somehow work together. The key is making sure it is outrageous. If you keep your humor within reason it will not go viral online. 

(Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1S8ros2VEg_kb7RRoExSPiaBlOF95jLhkD30c1qY0708dQ4OC6Ka0amvqH_uOIC2QuDfnFNxKN67GUODXKYExayYfdlzWf86JwehxavrhBsFAY9xAIoQKht7r2b6PlkMdBoPlxdAu_kyo/s1600/ComedyMask-line.gif)

3. Sentimental/Cute

Sentimental videos are very difficult to achieve viral status with for a business. Most cute/sentimental viral videos are of kittens cuddling with dogs and disabled individuals accomplishing incredible feats. While those can be inspirational, they usually lack production and the intent of generating brand recognition for a company, outside of the healthcare industry. However, if your a financial or insurance company, or in another similar industry, you can create a sentimental video targeting your demographic. While youths tend to be less interested in sentimental videos, more mature citizens - who are now more active than ever on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube - will value a well produced and written video that associates your company with their emotional concerns. 

(Source:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAblxyr9nSiJtlfPilS5JExdjIQnmYTcpF1xKE7dnb3RoNOupGpB31Lyqnv_jQRLlYsP78Zmq586Ax_VzwViMca7bzn5LrgXVdgJvumhI9WPNCAZHKBSa4yFCZW0aoPT00WGO31-XuQH19/s1600/retired+couple+on+beach.jpg)

Marketing your company through an internet ad on your website or YouTube could be a great way to boost traffic if you can pick a theme and style relevant to your business. Remember though, if you miss, MISS BIG. A big miss has a much greater chance of generating traffic than a conservative miss, which will get lost among the masses online. And, if you miss big, you will still generate traffic, if for no other reason than curiosity.

While there are many other aspects involved in designing a viral video, these three categories are the basic types of videos that go viral. Just make sure when making a viral video you understand what you are going for and go BIG. If your going for a sentimental appeal, really try to draw on people's emotions. If you want to make people laugh, make sure they're in tears. If you want to shock people, make sure they jump out of their seat. No one forwards a video that makes them slightly chuckle. But a properly designed viral video can boost traffic to your website and ultimately boost your name recognition and sales.

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By: Will Pearlman 

Check Out Some Great Viral Video Examples Here!

Maximize Your Micro-Site

Micro-sites are little heaven sent miracles for marketers. They capture leads, collect information, clean up data bases and perhaps most importantly, they provide one entrance point for all of your marketing messages to funnel through.  However, there are a few common errors that make all the difference in when landing page marketing and avoiding the popular pitfalls of improper landing page design can determine whether prospects participate or simply exit the page. Of course a certain amount of drop off is expected. Some users just won't be captured by the content of your site, but by adhering to a few simple guidelines, you can be sure to maximize  the benefits of using a micro-site.

1. Make your offer rad.

People don't want junk. furthermore, people are really good at telling when someone is offering them junk. So if you are going to offer company bumper stickers or free pens as the call to action on your micro-site, then you might want to consider alternate expenditures with your marketing money. However, if you can dig deep and offer something that will really excited potential buyers then hold on to your hat and get ready for flood of traffic passing through your page. Take chik-fil-a for example. They sent out about 5,000 postcards offering prospective customers a coupon for a free chicken sandwich redeemable via a landing page. Within weeks, the company had received more than 14,000 responses to the campaign (viral peer sharing with SynergyVX helped too).

Socially Awkward Media

Social Media networking has become a standard in marketing departments in almost every industry. But it seems even corporate giants have not worked out all of the kinks in their social media strategies.  An article from Forbes Reveals some of the biggest blunders on the web:

• Budweiser is the only one of the top 50 global brands to direct users to an “unfiltered” Facebook wall. That means that the other 49 are actively limiting what consumers can see on their pages.
• 89 percent of consumer replies on company’s Facebook pages remained unanswered. Case in point: Gucci didn’t reply to a single thread in the last three months. Eleven companies, meanwhile, responded to more than just one consumer.
• Even when marketers responded, only 15 percent of their posts “invited further conversation” and 17 percent actually “addressed the consumer by name.”
• If you check out financial firms like J.P. Morgan and Citibank’s Facebook brand pages, there’s actually not much going on on their walls.
• Those that were a bit more friendly and responsive on Facebook averaged a consumer-to-company post/response ratio of 3:1. Most, however, had a 1:4 ratio.
• Just 5 percent of company-to-consumer posts actually encouraged discussion. The majority, 71 percent, were actually promotional offers. Canon’s Facebook page, for instance, includes a plug to win its Canon IXUS 105 digital camera.

What can we learn from the error of others ways? The key to social media marketing lies in honest interaction with customers. Consistency, patience, and most of all, engagement are the only ways to win over the fickle online masses. And of course, what you don't Say can hurt more than what you do- Ignoring complaints and unhappy customers online never helps.

Read!

We love bloggers around here, and we couldn't resist sharing these juicy blogs.

Finding Your Way Through the Analytics Mire

By: Dominique Ellis

QR codes, PURLs, direct mail, print ads, PPC ads, banner ads, Facebook shares, tweets; the ever-growing list of innovative ways to reach new customers is enough to make any marketer scream.

Cross-channel marketing is quickly becoming the norm in the industry. It’s no longer enough to send out an email blast and expect results. Brands and businesses are doubling and tripling up on marketing mediums used in a single campaign. While it’s important to touch customers on multiple fronts, let’s not forget the most important part of any cross-channel marketing campaign — the analytics. Read More...

__________________________________________________________________________________

How To Use Mobile QR Codes to Drive Engagement

by Matt Krautstrunk on May 6, 2011 · 7 comments

in Marketing

QR codes are one of the hottest topics in mobile. They are becoming more popular with marketers, and in turn, consumers are catching on. According to a survey from MGH, mobile consumers are responding to the influx of popularity with QR codes, “32% of smartphone users say they have used a QR code and 70% say they would be interested to do so, either for the first time or again.”  Currently marketers are using QR Codes to offer promotional discounts (53%) and enter sweepstakes (33%), however QR codes have a place in social to drive engagement. Read More...

What is your TFF Ratio?

Your TFF Ratio (Twitter Follower-Friend Ratio) is the ratio of your followers to friends (or people who you follow). The higher the ratio, the more Twitter heat you pack.

A ratio of less than 1.0 indicates that you are seeking knowledge (and Twitter Friends), but not getting much Twitter Love in return. Check your pulse, you might be a bot.

A ratio of around 1.0 means you are respected among your peers. Many people think that a ratio of around 1.0 is the best - you're listening and being listened to.

A ratio of 2.0 or above shows that you are a popular person and people want to hear what you have to say. You might be a thought leader in your community.

A TFF Ratio 10 or higher indicates that you're either a Rock Star in your field or you are an elitist and you cannot be bothered by Twitter's mindless chatter. You like to hear yourself talk. Luckily others like to hear you talk, too. You may be an ass.

Stand on your Soapbox... and Tweet.

....Umm... hello out there?

"Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" Back in the days when newspapers were the only source of mainstream news, a platform and a booming voice were all anyone needed to gather a crowd for a big announcement. But now days, calling attention to your company is not so simple. Big brands and small companies alike are screaming about their products and services from every rooftop, platform, stage and soap box they can clamor to the top of- and customers are sick of hearing it. Instead of gathering around these screaming corporate giants, people are essentially hiding from them; opting out of emails, “un-friending” on Facebook, or un-following on Twitter. What is the trick to gathering a crowd that is not only listening to what you have to say, but actually engaged, excited, and ready act on your announcement?

With more than 16 million facebook
fans, Skittles gets social media.
Their quirky funny status keep fans
chuckling and always ready for more.

To really keep virtual friends and fans engaged in your online brand you need to speak to them about something of interest to them specifically. Don't be afraid to give back to the community.

What I Learned from Hootsuite's holiday Hoax:

HootSuite has managed to sucker me into reading their emails, and probably forever. While usually I cannot delete corporate blasted emails from my inbox fast enough, HootSuite's clever April's fools prank convinced me not only of their reign over the realm of twitter add-ons, but also of their marketing teams prowess.

On April 1st, I received the following email with the subject "HootSuite Pivot - CONFIDENTIAL & INTERNAL"  from a Mr. Ryan Holmes, CEO of HootSuite, which reads:

Board, Investors and Friends,

Things have been going really well at HootSuite for the last while, but after watching the massive growth of Zynga and the likes, I've been thinking a lot about if we are in the right business? Building on top of third party platforms can be challenging, and the team and I want a change. I know that this will come as a surprise, but as of today we're pivoting business models with the launch of Happy Owls (screenshot and link to private beta below). This game is really addictive and I think we stand a great shot of making an even bigger splash in a really fun market. 

As always I appreciate your support, and please keep confidential until our public announcement on Monday. 

Ryan
______________________________
Ryan Holmes, CEO
HootSuite - Social Media Dashboard

"You're on the List!" The power of listing

Anyone who has waited in line at a club (Or even seen a movie with someone waiting in line at a club) will tell you, about the importance of being "On the List." For some reason, being recognized amongst the masses as someone who must be included among the elite allowed to participate in whatever event merits such a line out the door. While including your clients and prospects on an VIP event list is probably not the most applicable concept to modern marketing strategy, listing on twitter is a super simple way to get noticed, with out being pushy or asking for anything of your prospects.

Similar to the groups feature on facebook, twitter lists allows you to categorize those you are following (family members, or personal friends, for example). The genius of the list feature however, is that it is not a static collection of usernames, but it constantly updates tweets and activity from listed users. Therefore, a list is a valuable tool not only compiling noteworthy "tweeters" but it also is a place to get a snapshot of what those users are saying by viewing said list.

So how is this applicable to getting YOU and your message noticed on twitter? All it takes is a little strategy. Going back to the metaphor of the VIP list, you want your lists to flatter those included. For example, a chef or restaurant looking to network on twitter could make a list "30 best restaurants in the County."  Now all of the restaurants included have been notified, and have seen seen the page of the user that listed them... make sense? Start simple at first. Make a list of Clients (give it a more appealing title, using the chef example, favorite taster's, you get the idea ), Co-workers, and those you want to know (title this group something flattering- favorite places, top chefs, elite in the field, etc)  and see how quickly you catch on!

Now... to the back of the line. I don't see your name here.

Creating YOUR Image, Online

When most people think of social media networking, they think of the hours of entertainment their own facebook or twitter account provides while they peruse photos and read about current events through tweets and status updates. But there is a different side to social media, and while it might be a bit slower to emerge on the scene, social media has exploded as the new, cost effective, instant, track-able, and viral marketing tactic. While it all seems like fun and games, businesses and professionals alike can not afford not to get on board the social media bandwagon.

".....But, how?" is the question I am often posed with. Creating the pages requires little technical saavy, an email account is usually all you need, and most of the top sites will walk you through the brief set up process. The question usually does not pertain to the technical component, but more how to best present ones image in an appealing, creative way that will not get lost among the masses of profiles and blogs.  In an attempt at a quick answer, here are a few things to consider as you navigate the process of building your online profile. 

1. What is your objective for the site? 
• Whether your goal is to drive people to an online store or blog, keep customers aware of current events/ sales, build brand awareness, (or for personal use, networking, secure clients, get a better job) makes sure you know your goals and prioritize them prior to setting up the page. Space is often limited and it will help you to narrow down what is really important to say
2. Who are you? What are your specialties, what can you provide others can not? 
• Answer all of those questions in as close to one sentence as you can get. This is the hardest part, but easily the most important. Be concise. This is the hook you will use to draw views in so they search for more about you.  There is no need to cram a ton of information in here, just enough to entice. Never forget the importance of sounding confident, it is OK to brag a little here. 
3. Heres the kicker-  Community and Content
• These two go hand in hand. It is useless to have thousands of contacts that don't know you or have no use for your services, and it is just as bad to have very few contacts who know you well. As with direct mail or any direct marketing for that matter, you need to make sure that you are getting your message into the hands of your target demographic. 

• Browse through the countless sites (here is a great list of them by category) pick the most relevant. There are of course, the Generic sites which most any demographic, facebook, twitter, linkedin, and blogger are my favorites. Once you've picked your platforms ( using more than one creates a more dynamic image, even if you are only consistent about one or two) Start connecting! 

• Start with people you know, coworkers clients, customers, customers, colleges, even family members to help get you started. 
• Now, spread the word about your new page! Advertise that you are out there (think emails, in store mentions, special offers exclusively through social media sites), and you will be surprised how quickly it catches on. 
• The real secret to social media success, in simple: once you have created the pages, USE THEM! Even if it is as simple as on status update a day... it keeps you active and makes sure that people are seeing your site. 
• Never underestimate the power of a picture. Attach them to important updates and you'll catch some eyes. 
• It is OK to be bare for a while. It takes a few weeks/ or months for the page to fill up. Content comes organically as you connect to friends and subscribers. 
• Here is a list of great ways to generate contents for a blog, but I think they are relevant for a social media page as well.