The statistics of how many people are on social media rise every year, so if your new business is not on social media yet, it’s time to consider what you are missing and the potential benefits.
Did you know that many consumers will look at a business or single entrepreneur’s online presence before shopping? That means that not only do you need to have a presence on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, but you also need to be consistent and relevant with your postings.
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Why You Need To Be Social
- Your Customers Are There
- It’s A Source of Direct Communication
- You Can Tell Your Story and Build Your Brand
- It’s An Easy Way to Identify Brand Enthusiasts
- It’s A Great Way To Listen to What People Are Talking About
- It’s A Great Way To Find Customers
How To Decide Which Social Networks To Use
The “gold standard” is still Facebook and Twitter, but there are other important networks you might want to join. If you are working with a social media specialist, they can help you determine if your target customers are on networks like LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, and other channels. If you are working alone, start with Facebook and Twitter. You might also want to invest in a one hour social media consultation or hire a specialist to set up your networks. Enlisting a specialist will ensure that your social networks are SEO (search engine optimized) ready and have consistent branding.
What To Post
- It’s very important to post updates on a regular basis. Be consistent and have fun.
- Don’t talk about your business all of the time. Post articles of interest for your audience, neighborhood, city and/or content that is related to your brand.
- Use hastags for your brand name and other related hashtags. You don’t have to use hashtags in every post and make sure your hashtags are not controversial. (Search hashtags on social networks like Twitter.)
- Each month, take time to create posts that align with your brand/business events, city events, holidays, etc. Make note of any current events that might be of interest to your audience.
- It’s always cool to have a contest on social networks! If that fits your brand, take a look at the contest/giveaway guidelines on your social network and have fun with your fans. Many businesses run contests on Facebook. If that sounds like something you want to do, here are the Facebook guidelines.
After the Post
Monitor respones and take the time to review posts on your social networks.
- Retweet, like and share posts from people and brands that you like. Just make sure if won’t offend anyone.
- Monitor responses to your posts and respond quickly. You can get alerts on your mobile device, email notifications and use free services Nutshell Mail to view responses.
- Remember that you can always re-use great posts by rewording the content and adding a different image.
Don’t Get Overwhelmed
Doing social media on your own can be a lot of work, so just focus on what’s important to your business and your customers first. Be consistent with daily postings. Get comfortable with social media but remember to stay focused on growing your business. You can always delegate or outsource your social media marketing.
Do you want to know more? Let’s talk!
Make An Impression.
Sabrina Espinal
Sabrina&Company Marketing
Image Credit: © Lumina