With more than 800 million active users, Facebook, a social networking service and website launched eight years ago, recently announced its plans to become a public company. Aiming to raise $10 billion, which would give it a value of $100 billion, it is calculated that Facebook has the potential to become the 15th-largest initial public offering in global history. That according to L. Denise Edwards, owner of SitaraSocial Marketing, proves the social media industry and the online marketing world are rife with opportunity to grow ones business.
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| EDUCATION IS KEY—Shining light into social cyber space, L. Denise Edwards, owner of SitaraSocial Marketing conducts her first social media workshop for the year. (Photo by Diane I. Daniels)
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A medium that includes web-based and mobile technologies, social media has taken the world by storm. A tool used for communal interaction allowing the creation and exchange of user-generated content, social media is used by millions. “Generated by the user, people created content that cause conversation and a gathering of discussion,” is how Edwards defines social media. Other than Facebook, Edwards identified other popular social media entities as Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and blogs.
Edwards is focused on assisting businesses to grow their online presence. Her mission is to solve business owners’ problems as it pertains to social marketing, and to help them leverage social technologies in a way that converts consumers into customers, and customers into profit. “Now is the time for entrepreneurs in all fields of business to strategize and capitalize on the opportunity to reach more people in a meaningful way that will bring customers to them.”
SitaraSocial internet marketing services include, social media marketing and management, social media marketing training and consultation, buzz monitoring, blog writing, customer relationship management, search engine optimization, all with measurable return on investment.
“I want my clients to consider SitaraSocial to serve as an outsourced digital marketing department for their company,” Edwards said.
While conducting her monthly workshops, Edwards discusses how to strategically use social media to grow and market a business and outlines the proper etiquette to utilizing Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Her six point golden rules are to conduct a useful campaign include listening to what is important and relevant during the conversation; adding value to the conversation, issues and problems, not to hard sell; to engage and interact, to be real, be nice, be honest and to be grateful and the last rule is to focus on quality and not quantity.
“When using social media to effectively navigate social networking outlets as well as other forms of online technologies you have to engage and connect with consumers in a human and relatable way,” she emphasizes.
An online marketer for more than six years, Edwards utilizes her writing and marketing background to assist her clients to clearly articulate to consumers their marketing vision. A graduate of Perry Traditional Academy, Edwards attended Community College of Allegheny County and the Fashion Institute for Technology in New York City. While developing her education in marketing, Edwards said originally she wanted to be a freelancer in the fashion world which would have enabled her to utilize her passion for writing. Throughout her career she has operated several businesses and worked as a makeup artist and hair stylist.
“I’ve always wanted to connect businesses with services,” she pointed out recalling the path that has brought her to the creation of SitaraSocial Marketing. Upon returning to Pittsburgh she again exercised her entrepreneurial attributes and operated a business where she sold body creams and oils. “I’ve always had an entrepreneur spirit.” As a way to perfect her skills and to learn the techniques of operating a business she attended the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh YW Enterprising Women Program. “I was inspired by the women that attended the program and wondered how they were going to market themselves,” Edwards said. Her answer; Spotlightpittsburgh.com, an Internet outlet that highlighted small businesses.
“SpotlightPittsburgh is a social influence blog for people, places, and things that pertain to Pittsburgh and its inhabitants,” she explained. “The blog enabled me to become savvy to online marketing and social media and four years later I grasped I was doing what I wanted to do. In 2010 I realized it was a business and have transitioned it into a business and not a hobby.”
As a way to continuously hone her skills and to grow her online repetition and presence Edwards served as an intern at 720 Cafe Music and Clothing, a new business needing her skillset and later acquired Style and Steel Event Planning as a client.
Considering SitaraSocial as much more than an outsourced marketing firm for hire, Edwards views SitaraSocial as educating business owners on how to successfully utilize online marketing outlets to grow their business. “SitaraSocial marketing is shining light into cyber space by training business owners small and large, how to successfully utilize social for solid return on investment,” she said.
Excited about the future, Edwards said within five years she anticipates SitaraScial Marketing to be global. “We will be more into video marketing, which is a hot trend and developing webinars.”
“This is an exhilarating time in the social media world,” Edwards pointed out. “Facebook’s decision to go public demonstrates the growth and possibilities. I am enthusiastic about the future of SitaraScial Marketing. I feel this is our season. God is in control. Doors are opening, and I feel blessed.”
(L. Denise Edwards can be reached at www.sitaramarketing.com or www.spotlightÂpittsburgh.com.)
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