Being a blogger for a while now, I have realized how important social media plays in my life. Frankly, I am addicted to social media and I pride myself on doing heaps of research about social media tips for small businesses. For me, social media is a potential platform to create a new relationship, interact with fans, customers, clients and build a brand presence for myself alongside. Here are some pointers that should help you get started and hopefully give your social media numbers a healthy boost.
1. First and foremost, your company/brand should have an official website or blog. This website will act as your introductory platform where you will share what your products and services are all about. You may also demonstrate your expertise on different topics via information provided on your site/blog. This will create a level of trust with potential customers before they decide to contact you. Incorporating relevant search terms into your website will also increase your presence on Google. Ultimately your website should act as a content producer for your social media platforms.
2. Having a Facebook Page is a must. Facebook is an easy platform to get your content out to a larger audience and engage with new people. You can engage in Facebook advertisements, giveaways and build a community of like-minded people. However do note – try not to beg for shares on Facebook. Let your content speak for itself. It is important to regularly update your Facebook page. You need to create daily, weekly and monthly engagement plans that will add value and attract the targeted audience. The content should be interesting to read and allow your fans to participate actively.
3. Everyone has been trying to figure out the mystical world of Twitter. Twitter is a microblogging service that enables users to exchange short 140-character messages. Frankly, the ideal length of a tweet is 100 characters. This is enough for users to have said something meaningful and for the person retweeting it to add their own little commentary as well. Twitter will allow your brand to speak directly to potential customers. It is important to know how your business should ‘sound’, the type of language you should use and how your readers expect to be addressed. Contests can be carried out on twitter.
4. Build a brand name through social media by sharing your company history. Talk about what your team is currently doing and what fans can look out for in future. This will encourage loyalty among existing customers.
5. Link all your social media accounts – Google+, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to get more mentions and to increase presence amongst users. Infact check out this cool article from Follows.com which tells you how you can get new followers daily on your instagram profile.
6. Remember to use tags and hashtags to make your brand more noticeable. For example, if you make videos for YouTube, tag @YouTubeSingapore and #YTPicks. This will increase your chances of being featured on their pages.
7. Schedule time for writing content on all of your social media platforms. Writing regularly over a continuous period is the only way to achieve the benefits of social media.
Xoxo
Ritwika
