Places to Look on Social Media for New Business Ideas

Social media is a two-way street. It allows companies to increase visibility and awareness, raise their profile, promote a product or service and engage with customers. At the same time, customers use social media to express themselves and provide their opinions about brands. Both sides of the coin allow for a two-way dialogue, an opportunity for companies to receive instant feedback and also help a business cultivate an online following. But this social-media chatter can also provide another advantage -- it allows aspiring entrepreneurs to find the next great business idea.  

Here are five social media tactics that can help to get the wheels turning:

1. Trending topics. Trending topics have come to represent the intersection of news and social media and appear on Facebook and Twitter – often represented through hashtags. They are the manifestation of social media chatter, buzz and general conversation.

This is also where complaints surface. Think of trending topics as your own personal focus group for any problem. Whether on a global scale or in your community, if you listen and pay attention to trending topics, you may just be able to glean enough important information to get you started on a solution --your next great business idea.

2. Popular pages. Pinterest and Instagram literally provide us with snapshots of what people are interested in and excited about via their popular page section. Exploring popular pages and topics of interest will provide valuable insight and research to inspire great ideas for reaching potential consumers. Entrepreneurs can then reflect on what they think consumers would buy. What can I create to help better their lives? What would they be interested in?

3. Crowdfunding platforms. Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo are a great source for discovering trends, new products and services.  Businesses and startups look to these platforms for funding opportunities from venture capitalists, angel investors and the general public. By determining which businesses received funding and what the general public is interested in, individuals are able to gain insight into what consumers are looking for, what interests them and what they are willing to pay for. 

Related : Start Up Business Online

4. TV shows and the second screen. Now that we’re fully immersed in the digital age, the rise of the second screen is becoming increasingly popular. Second screens (often our computer, laptop or mobile device) are used to engage, interact with heighten the media experience. TV shows like Shark Tank and Dragon’s Den are taking the second screen into account when writing scripts and taping. When shows like these air, entrepreneurs should tune in to Twitter or Facebook and read the feedback. Are these new business pitches going to succeed? Would people actually use the product being pitched? If not, what would make it more appealing? Can I improve any of these business ideas? Learning what works and what doesn’t work can help spark the next great idea. And, you have the opportunity to listen to and view investor’s feedback. 

5. Trending pages. We’ve already discussed trending topics, so think of this section as referencing a whole page of trending topics. StumbleUpon and Flipboard have a plethora of trending topics from all industries that have been categorized into trending pages for you -- all you need to do is look. Scour these pages for topics that are popular and then read the comments --what are people saying? If there is an issue, is this something you have the answer to?

If you find that you are just out of ideas and looking for inspiration, these sites can be just the key to spark your creative engine.
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Crowdfunding Your Business

The JOBS Act changes are heralding a new era of crowdfunding, in which supporters of a company or project can become more than just backers - they can become owners. The new capital raising opportunities under the Act are game-changers for both investors and entrepreneurs.

But while "equity crowdfunding" differs significantly from traditional rewards- and donation-based crowdfunding, one aspect is the same for both: the fundamental importance of the project owner's existing network.

In order for any 'crowd' fundraising campaign - rewards and equity alike - to succeed, the head of the project must motivate his or her network and drive support and investments from friends, family, and colleagues.

Mis-CROWD-ceptions

Rewards-based crowdfunding has become a mainstream concept thanks to the popularity of platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. But ask someone on the street about crowdfunding and he or she is likely to recall the biggest, boldest campaigns to date - the ones that garnered widespread public interest and tons of funding: the Pebble Smartwatch project that raised $10 million; the Veronica Mars film that surpassed its $2 million funding goal in a mere 10 hours and went on to raise more than $5.7 million.

The high-profile, viral nature of those and other major campaigns has led some outsiders to view crowdfunding as a means for easy money... and that couldn't be further from the truth.

"I think that's the misconception going into crowdfunding, that you think the crowd is going to be on your side," says Vann Alexandra Daly, a filmmaker and consultant who's been called the 'crowdsorceress' for her expertise managing crowdfunding campaigns.

Anonymous donations from strangers may be how Pebble and Veronica Mars raised millions, but the truth is that those boldface projects are the exception rather than the rule. The average successful rewards crowdfunding campaign, according to data published in the Wall Street Journal, raises less than $10,000. And successful campaigners (like Daly and others) point out that motivating their networks to support a crowdfunding project is key to that project's success.

Consider U-Doodle, a Miami-based non-profit that successfully raised $10,000 on Indiegogo in December 2013.

"I'd say we knew or interacted with 80 percent of our funders," says Jordan Magid, Co-Founder of U-Doodle. "And getting contributions from our closest friends and colleagues was critical to gaining momentum."

That's the key - getting members of your network that you already know to contribute, and turning newcomers into members of your network through one-to-one communication and relationship building. And that key unlocks both rewards crowdfunding campaigns and equity crowdfunding offerings.

General Solicitation Lessons

When considering conducting a potential General Solicitation equity offering to accredited investors - presently the only option for an equity crowdfunding campaign - many entrepreneurs expect the public, online nature of the process to do the work of fundraising for them.

Of course, the ability to publicly advertise investment opportunities significantly increases the potential for such offerings to 'go viral' and attract investors the issuer did not previously know. We encourage every issuer to utilize their online marketing options as much as possible and incorporate PR and social media into the fundraising strategy.

But the concept of knowing - or getting to know - '80 percent' of your funders still applies. We recommend that issuers strategize to raise 40-50 percent of their funds from 1st degree contacts (friends, family, close colleagues) and 30-40 percent from 2nd degree contacts (friends-of-friends and acquaintances). That leaves 20-30 percent to come from broader connections and the crowd.

Importantly, reaching and converting investors in each tier of your network involves a lot of campaigning... and online marketing isn't enough. To fund your campaign successfully, you'll need to conduct personalized outreach to all interested investors, send frequent updates to your extended networks, and do lots of in-person networking.

That's another thing that applies to both rewards and equity crowdfunding: it's hard work.

"It's a full-time job," says Daly of crowdfunding. "Every day of the campaign is important."

Apply to raise funds for your business through rewards or equity crowdfunding! Go to http://www.EarlyShares.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Madelyn_R_Young

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Need to raise money for your startup?

If you’re looking for a list of Start Up Funding  sites, you’ve found it!
1 Angel.co
AngelList is a platform for startups—started by the dudes who do Venture Hacks.
Total start up funding raised from investors is $19,573,001 in April 2014.

2 Kickstarter
Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform.This site is helpfull for those who like to get crowdfunding

 for there idea.

3 indiegogo

Indiegogo is an international crowdfunding site.

A few examples of campaigns on indiegogo, include "Lets Give Karen -The bus monitor- H Klein A Vacation!", which raised $703,833, Stick-N-Find which has raised $861,165, Bug-A-Salt which raised $577,546 and Let's Build a Goddamn Tesla Museum which raised $1.3 million.

Note : we advice you before geting funded by investors, first get to know who is investing on your idea?,why he is investing? what is his professional life?.Its better to talk with investors in skype or face 2 face communication.

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