Alan Draper
Social media outlets give companies the ability to market products and services via booming platforms. Even entrepreneurs with limited budgets can get in on the action by using social media to build a community around their brands. But how do small business owners do so when they have a limited knowledge of social media platforms? As the social media marketing coordinator for an online surety bond company, I’m going to break down the three key social media platforms and then offer some simple advice on how to get started.
Twitter is one of the simplest marketing tools small business owners can use to connect with existing and potential customers. Twitter is a place for sharing as much as it is for communicating. Sharing information that’s relevant to your industry can attract people who will value your brand for doing more than just promoting itself. Plus, these quick interactions don’t take take much time or effort but can still produce both short and long-term results. When Twitter is used correctly, networks grow quickly and naturally.
Facebook is a more complicated platform than Twitter, but this allows for more connectivity with your audience. Where Twitter lacks the ability to build a collection of content, Facebook pages can be customized. Facebook engages visitors not only with text and link referrals but also media such as photos, videos, polls and events. Business owners can use Facebook to develop more meaningful relationships with both clients and colleagues.
Google+ is the newest key player in the social media realm. Although it hasn’t yet developed the reach of Twitter or Facebook, its role is becoming increasingly important to online marketing. One key benefit of Google+ is the ability to improve a company’s SEO and search rankings. Google weighs “+1s” very heavily when calculating organic search results. If you’re concerned with your company’s ability to be found online, you should set up a Google+ account for your business immediately.
Now that you have a basic understanding of how they work, you might be wondering how to develop a social media marketing campaign. Unfortunately, developing a social media marketing campaign can be intimidating for those without previous experience. So how do you get started?
The first step is to create profiles and take time getting familiar with their unique interfaces. Recommend your social media profiles to clients and colleagues as a way to interact with your enterprise on a more personal level. Say hello, compliment them, share their work. When it comes to social media, you’re only as strong as your ability to engage with your audience.
Then you should begin sharing media that helps users identify your brand. Social media is a great way for both you and your clients to announce sales, advertise deals, spread news and gather feedback. With just a few clicks your audience can spread the word about your brand to their entire network. The power that lies in that simple fact is incredible. It’s easy to see that an active social media presence makes your brand much more accessible to everybody.
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Alan Draper.
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I am just a bit worried: I don’t think that Twitter is one of the simplest marketing tools for small businesses. It is a useful tool but should be placed as a lower priority.
We’ve built a platform for the small business owner to enable them to publish to these platforms and others as well as to search, from one dashboard. It makes starting a social marketing campaign much easier for the small business owner with little extra time. Take a look at BizBrag, I would be grateful to know what you think.
@Alan: Notice that I said “simplest” and not “best.” I wasn’t suggesting that Twitter necessarily be made a top priority for small business marketing (though some find it beneficial). I was just trying to draw attention to the fact that it’s pretty easy for those new to social media marketing to grasp. Thanks for sharing your perspective!