For small businesses, social media marketing is essential. It can be the difference between having a successful enterprise or a struggling trade. This is due to the large potential that social media marketing presents.
Unlike multinational organizations, small sized businesses do not have huge marketing budgets to conduct sufficient market research. As a result, social media offers the opportunity for small businesses to directly communicate with customers and discuss all aspects of the business. Businesses can gain vital information relating to their services, and in return, market products and see where improvements can be made.
However, using social media marketing is not as simple as logging into Facebook or Twitter and posting comments. Utilizing these websites from a business prospect requires a careful balance of time and strategy. Here are six tips for small businesses looking to embrace social media marketing.
Plan an effective strategy – Before you create a website that bundles all social media websites that you're planning to sign up to, outline key targets and the ways needed to employ them. Decide which social media websites to use, who within the company will carry it out and what method will be used to assess the progress of the campaign.
Locate your customers – Conduct market research to establish which social media websites your customers predominately use. For potential customers, search keywords and topics relating to your business to find out relevant blogs and forums to join and communicate.
Time management – As social media marketing can be very time consuming, it is important to find enough time during the business day to communicate with customers and build effective relationships. Customers who see regular activity or have their questions and questions answered are more likely to follow the business and recommend their services. Remember though; do not just market your business, listen to what your customers have to say.
Be the specialist – Pass on useful information and give solutions that will help customers. This will not only show you're an expert in your industry, but it will also help build a rapport between you and your customers.
Integrity personality – The best way to maintain relationships is to write honestly and openly. Customers are more willing to communicate with people they like as opposed to business representatives. Another way of incorporating personality is to display a 'human' picture and not just the business logo. You should use the same personality when you create a website for your business, so people will recognize the brand.
Offer incentives – Make online customers feel as though they are valuable by offering exclusive discounts and promotions. This will help sustain interest and ensure customers feel integrated in the business.
By implementing these tips, small businesses can effectively promote and expand their online brand, and in the long run, gain more customer awareness. Well planned social media marketing will leave customers talking and consequentially; they will be more likely to buy into the brand. The key to success is hard work. Posting comments now and again, will only lead to customers disregarding the business, whereas, active weekly posts will result in an online presence that customers can trust and depend on.
