Small Business & Social Media

Social Media has become the new frontier in terms of business marketing, client retention and visibility. A few well-placed posts on social media can boost sales, image and reach countless people who might not have heard of the businesses otherwise. It can be harder for small businesses to take advantage of social media in their area. However, there are a few steps one can take in creating a plan of action towards creating new business and visibility with social media.

Choice of Platform

With so many options available to social media users, it is incredibly important to know which platforms are being used in areas local to the business. By understanding which platforms current customers and potential customers in the area use, it will be easier to figure out which options should be explored first. It is also important to choose a social media platform that is in line with the type of business one has. A fashion boutique would likely thrive in an environment such as Instagram, where the focus is more visual. However, a financial services business might want to consider something like LinkedIn, or Facebook, where the interaction is more personal, and there is more room to communicate.

Taking Control

Consumers and social media users are getting smarter. They can tell who is constantly posting generic and lazy updates that are barely relevant to the business. It is a good idea to actively engage people who follow a small business on social media. A personal touch can go a long way, and a few comments from the owner of the company directly to the people who write on the page can go a long way and show that the people who are running the company actually care about them as clients and customers.

Engage, Engage, Engage

Businesses need to post content that is related to their industry, be on top of messages from clients or those interested in the page, and be a part of the conversation of that industry. By sharing content or news from a related industry, that content can then be shared by fans on the page, allowing the company’s name to be shown on pages that would have never discovered them to begin with. Social media is all about staying current and staying on message.

By following these few steps and consistently creating engaging content, even the smallest of businesses can benefit from using social media.