Bizsuccess

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

By: Susannah Morgan

According to Bursin-Marsteller, the number of companies being talked about on Twitter has increased by 90% over the last year. Social media is not just for reconnecting with high school classmates anymore, instead, it has developed into a great tool for facilitating business and building brand awareness for your company. If your small business hasn’t incorporated some type of social media into your business plan, you are missing out on a great opportunity. Read below for some tips to consider when engaging in various online communities:

1. Be personable.

When posting on Twitter or Facebook, make sure to act like a real person interacting with your followers. Put some personality into your posts. The movers and shakers of social media don’t act like robots, and neither should you.

2. Think strategically.

If your small business marketing budget is tight, and you don’t have the means to hire a full-time social media expert, make sure to invest in only the big guys. This may mean only creating Facebook and Twitter accounts, instead of every social media site available to you. While being active on as many networks as possible is good, you still need to make updates daily in order to create a following.

3. Give discounts.

Studies by ExactTarget found that nearly 40% of Facebook users who become fans do so to receive discounts and promotions.

4. Do some competitive research.

Look at what your competition is doing to stay successful. Following the leaders in social media is a great way to get ideas for your own company.

5. Pose questions and answer followers/fans.

Take the time to prove that you are an expert in your trade by answering questions. Social media is also an excellent way to gain insight by asking questions to your consumer base before making a change in your product line/service.