We catch up with Logan Nathan, founder of TweetMyEvents.com and social media guru on what to expect at his special BAC Workshop, what's new and how to make the most out of the Budapest Affiliate Conference.

As Founder of TweetMyEvents.com, a real-time event sharing platform for the social web, can you say tell us a little more about what you do, what clients you work with and what success you’ve had?

While my initial focus was on building online presence (i.e.websites) for clients and driving traffic to these using traditional internet marketing techniques, with the emergence of social media I had to reassess my online marketing strategy. I began with building a completely new online presence (i.e. website) that was fully integrated with social media. I also actively promoted my business online using social media marketing. The amazing results that I achieved impressed my clients who asked me to help them achieve similar results with their online marketing.

I now run social media workshops and training programs for businesses throughout Australia. For clients who require additional help I provide a social media strategy and help with the implementation if required.

Of course I also continue to build websites for clients and help with traffic generation and Search Engine Optimisation services.

What are the advantages of engaging in social media – is there really a need for businesses to have a social profile?

Traditional online marketing focuses on SEO. Social media marketing challenges traditional online marketing concepts. The focus has shifted from search based marketing to referral marketing by establishing connections through social media platforms.

It is really not a question of whether, but how soon businesses should begin using social media as a business tool. Just as businesses who rely on Yellow pages and do not yet have a website are at a great disadvantage when it comes to marketing, ignoring social media will leave businesses far behind their competitors who embrace this powerful tool.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube…and with numerous local variations too, it can all be a bit overwhelming. What should affiliates and operators do to get started with social media?

Since the target audience comprises consumers LinkedIn is probably not the right medium as it is focuses on the business-to-business market. The right strategy is to post tips on Twitter and set up a Facebook Like page and build a following. Setting up a blog is also useful as Tweets and Facebook posts can be linked back to the blog where additional information on a given topic can be obtained. 

Interesting short videos can also be posted on YouTube with backlinks to the blog.

The secret is to research and use targeted keywords used by consumers while searching for information on Google.

What are the top 3 mistakes businesses often make when starting out? Are they easily avoided?

1. Not using targeted keywords
2. Not spending time to find out what their relevant social media groups are talking about before joining the conversations
3. Trying too hard to “sell” right from the outset without making an effort to build relationships. Social media is all about building relationships. Selling has to be done very subtly and not blatantly. 

If you were advising on how to plan an integrated social marketing strategy, what would be top of your list for people to consider?

The main consideration is to first plan how social media will fit into the overall online marketing strategy. The important point to consider is to find the winning combination of message (using the right keywords),  the target market and choice of media.

Regarding your iGB Training Workshop – “Social Media Secrets For Your Business”, who should attend and what five points will delegates take away from this session?

Businesses often go about implementing social media the wrong way and don’t see any results. For businesses who have never used social media before this workshop will help them avoid the pitfalls that could cost them time and money if they were to go about implementing the strategy through trial and error. For businesses who have tried using social media without much success, the workshop is an eye opener that will help them get back on track to implementing a structured social media strategy that will get results.

Some of the points they take away are:

• What is Social Media and why use Social Media for Business
• How to develop a Social Media Strategy for Business using Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Flicr & YouTube
• The right way to get started with Social Media for Business without wasting time and money
• The basics of measuring and monitoring a Social Media campaign
• Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media for Business

If you were a member of the workshop, what three intelligent questions would you ask during your training?

That’s a great question. Here are my three favourites:

1. How do I start my first social media campaign?
2. There are so many media – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. Which should I choose?
3. Is there a way to spend less time on social media marketing but achieve results?

And finally, what's your tip for making the most out of an industry event like the Budapest Affiliate Conference? 

Listen carefully to information that is most relevant to you. Ask questions. Network and build relationships that will help you with your business.

Logan Nathan will be will be hosting an iGB Training Workshop on Thursday 7th October and presenting on Day 1 - Friday 8th October