3 Steps to Social Media Success for Your Small Business

Tips for Your Small Business 

The days when small business owners could survive without a website are long over, but these days a company website is not enough. If you want to succeed and thrive in the new millennium, you need to engage directly with your customers, and that means establishing a social media presence.

From Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and LinkedIn, there are plenty of platforms where business owners can talk to their customers directly, conduct market research, and LinCover growth opportunities for their companies. Setting up a social media strategy is not an easy thing to do, but here are four steps to get you started.

1. Start establishing a social media presence

Establishing a social media presence without a solid plan for what it should include and how it should work. Many small business owners fail to plan their social media strategies, and the results can be disastrous. Some of the most common social media blunders, from ill-considered tweets sent out by subordinates to tone-deaf Facebook reactions to customer complaints, could have been avoided if the business owner in question had put a plan in place first.

2. Engage Your Audience

Social media is all about engagement, and business owners should know that from the start. A Facebook page needs to be much more than a marketing vehicle, and posting nothing but ads for your products is a sure path to disaster. If you want your foray into social media to be successful, you need to take a proactive approach.

That means creating engaging and interesting Facebook posts, tweeting out links your readers will find interesting, and establishing yourself as an expert in your chosen field. Social media engagement also means talking to your readers and sharing their concerns. Even if those customer complaints seem unfair or unfounded, it is important to address them openly, and honestly - that kind of social media engagement is something your readers will appreciate.

3. Appoint a Designated Poster

The information you post on social media will be there forever, so be careful what you tweet and how you engage. Even if you delete an ill-timed tweet or errant Facebook post, it still exists somewhere in Internet archives, screen captures, and myriad other forms. Those old posts and tweets could come back to haunt you in the future, so the best approach is one of prevention.

Many business owners prefer to take the social media reins directly, doing all the posting and tweeting themselves. Others will appoint a designated poster - a trusted member of the team who can engage customers on social media, answer common inquiries and keep the boss posted. No matter which approach you choose, it is important to stay engaged and active on your social media pages.