These days, virtually every type of small business can benefit in some way from establishing a social media presence. However, maintaining that social media presence requires a significant time investment, so it’s important to make sure your business is using social media effectively.
Social media is not a one-size-fits-all prescription for small businesses, and can be a waste of time if the focus is not in the right area. For example, a small clothing shop will not benefit much from a LinkedIn presence, and a small law firm won’t get much out of Pinterest
The two social media platforms that generally do work for everyone are Facebook and Twitter. Used correctly, each social network can foster a relationship with your customers that keeps them in contact with you and encourages them to recommend you to others.
The key to establishing this relationship is – somewhat counterintuitively – not to promote yourself too much. Social networks are about connecting with other people, and while the long-term goal is to turn them into customers, the short term goal is to establish a trust and a human connection between your company and its social followers.
This means providing advice, answering questions, and keeping up conversations with those who post on your wall, without adding a promotional link into every post. For every handful of posts you make that are generally beneficial and helpful, you can make one post that is promotional. Customers know you are a business and have no problem with your advertising, as long as it is only a part of what you post.
These rules apply no matter what social networks you take part in, and while they are free to join, they are a significant time investment, so make sure you’re investing wisely and doing it right.
Contact us a for a free social media analysis for your company.
