Many people will tell you that marketing with social media is no longer an option, but a necessity. The basis for the argument is the fact that conversations are going on out there, whether you participate in them or not. People are talking about your company and you don’t even know what they’re saying, much less respond!
Does this make you a little nervous? Do you want to get started but don’t know how? The good news is—promoting your small business with social media is not necessarily difficult, time-consuming or expensive. Here are 3 tips to get you going:
Identify your market.
What goes for any type of marketing certainly goes for social media marketing. Find out who your buyers and potential buyers are, then target them. Do this before you even start your social media efforts and you’ll have the foundation laid for a more effective campaign.
If you’re a bricks-and-mortar business, for example, geo-targeting your customers makes your social media posts more relevant—and thus more useful—to them. This increases the likelihood that they will act. Use the Twitter search tool, HootSuite or CoTweet to find where your audience is on social media.
Post regularly.
Even before you start inviting friends, fans and followers to join your conversation, start posting tweets and updates on your accounts. Get into the habit of doing so often. Some companies hire social media managers to handle this, and if your budget allows it’s a great way to keep your posts updated and on a schedule.
The key here is to always post something of value. It doesn’t have to relate directly to your business every time. In fact, people like to engage in many different ways and it all counts toward building your relationships. Tweet links to other authority sites, articles and videos. Add comments, contribute to discussions and answer questions. Always engage!
Keep it real.
Certain aspects of your social media marketing campaign can be automated in order to streamline the process. For example, feeding your accounts through RSS is a good way to ensure that your blog posts automatically get posted to all of your accounts.
But, when it comes to your comments, questions and replies, it’s always best to deliver these personally. Not only does it show that you’re interested in offering value to your visitors, it also prevents the embarrassing mishaps that often result from template responses.
Once you get started with social media, you’ll be able to refine the process and how you handle it. And, you will learn who’s listening and participating in the conversations. This will help keep your finger on the pulse of your market. Be sure to always keep your audience updated with the latest company news and promotions. Answer questions and invite discussion. Social media offers the potential for great return on investment if you stick to these basic elements of success.
