Social media, social networking, online networking—whatever you call it, whatever you use it for, it is an undeniable part of our modern culture. Conversations are centered around it; jobs are posted to it; life events are recorded on it; and opinions (good and bad) are shared through it.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining. I’m actually (pleasantly) surprised at how social media has managed to weave its way into my own life, both personally and professionally! It has completely changed the way I market my business, and I suspect you’ve had similar experiences in your own business. Instead of posting ads in the local paper, or spending hours licking envelopes for mass mailings, we’re now posting to our favorite business networking sites and instantly reaching hundreds, even thousands, compared to the relatively few we are able to touch with the traditional printed marketing efforts. This is a fabulous thing for small businesses.
Did you know that there are currently over 200 popular social media and business networking sites out there? Amazing, isn’t it? With so many options, finding the right platforms and then learning the most effective way to use them for your business can be tricky to say the least, and sometimes totally overwhelming. It helps to understand a few guidelines about social media for business before you dive in and join all 200 of them. (Just kidding. I know you wouldn’t do that!)
Do your research. From A to Z, there are networking sites for every type of business, social and special interest group that you can imagine. Take some time to Google sites related to your industry or area of expertise. While the most popular are of course, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest, these are just the tip of the social media iceberg, and they may or may not all be the best fit for your business. Go where your audience hangs out.
Be focused in your efforts. Once you determine which sites will bring you closest to your audience or target market, you will want to be very focused in your marketing efforts. Develop a schedule for posting; write your posts ahead of time whenever possible and have them ready to post so you’re not stressing out trying to come up with something brilliant in the moment. And make sure your posts on each site are written to appeal to that site’s members. For instance, your Facebook posts can be a little more casual than they should be on LinkedIn. Why? Because people on Facebook are open to a more casual, personal connection; whereas those on LinkedIn generally maintain a more formal, professional persona. And Twitter is a good mix of the two!
Be present and engaged. Some experts say that you should post several times a day, and others say 2 to 5 times per week. I find the best rule of thumb is to post however frequently you can offer value. Nothing is more annoying than to read multiple posts a day from the same person, and not find value in any of them! If you can offer the greatest value by posting once a day, or three times a week, then that’s what you should do. The most important thing is to make sure that every post contains something of value that the reader can take with them. It might be a new product or service, an upcoming event, a funny story, or a great tip; as long as it engages the reader, you’ve hit the mark.
Don’t let social media get the best of you. Find two or three sites that fit your criteria and will help you accomplish what you want. Start small and work your way up to more sites and more frequent posts; whatever you’re comfortable with. And if you find that being a social media guru simply isn’t in your toolbox, hire a team that can handle it all for you!
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