A common question we receive at Variant Studios from our clients is:

"I have heard that if you link your website to Facebook and Twitter, it will improve your search engine rankings. Is that true and is it worth it?"

Facebook and Twitter are simply tools that help drive traffic to your website. You can, however, use these outlets to your advantage by actively adding relevant content and fostering discussion — which in turn will raise your company profile within these online communities.

Social networking systems can be used as "tools" for marketing or public relations (good for large corporations) but without active (daily or weekly) moderation by people within the company, they hold no value.

Let's use the example of a landscaping company.

Here are a few ways you might use Twitter:

• Post a weekly tip for maintaining your garden
• Re-Tweet or share links to interesting garden/landscaping blogs (bonus points if it's your own company blog)
• Tweet local weather-related landscape maintenance tips: i.e. "We've just had our first cold snap — if you haven't already, it's time to blow out your sprinkler system."
• Tweets need to be regular AND useful. This is a good way to create a transparent, constant relationship with your audience

Here are a few ways you might use Facebook:

• Create a Fort Collins landscape experts page, sponsored by your landscaping company
• Start discussion topics on do-it-yourself landscape tips
• Allow people to post photos of their gardens, hold seasonal competitions

You might be asking, "Why would I want to help people do it themselves?"

This is why: People LOVE transparency and LOVE a company that is willing to give stuff away for FREE — your company becomes established as the helpful, friendly place to get information and advice on landscaping. Eventually, you also become the place to buy the supplies to do those projects people read about online. Secondly, not everyone can OR wants to do it themselves. They may start a project, tire of the project and hire you to finish it.

Remember, the only way to get friends is to start friending EVERYONE you know. People typically reciprocate and friend you back.

Variant Studios has created a program specially designed to help your business succeed when using social networking sites to promote your business.  Contact us for more information on this program.