There are currently more than 1.5 billion active Facebook users, 320 million Twitter users & 100 million active Linkedin users.
Social Media opens up a whole new world of Online Marketing for small business owners. Even if you haven’t got your website up and running yet, you can still connect with potential customers through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin.
Although these three popular platforms all involve connecting with your customers online, they do need very different strategies.
Facebook is the most ‘social’ of the Social Media platforms and in order to succeed here you will need to let your customers see the personal side of your business through humour, helpful hints and honest feedback about your services.
Don’t sell your product or service on Facebook, instead encourage users to leave reviews on your Facebook page which act as ‘Social Proof’ that your company is trustworthy and offer free advice and tips related to your industry. Don’t lock your content away and ask for someone’s email address before handing over any content, that’s like walking up to someone in a bar and asking for a date before you’ve even asked their name!
Be sure to use a Facebook Business Page for your company and not a personal profile, as personal profiles can get banned if they are used for business. For more information on setting up your Facebook page for business, you can check out Facebook’s official guide – https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/set-up-facebook-page
Twitter is great for short updates about your services, product launches or other newsworthy items regarding your business. It is also a great way to connect with known industry influencers and experts.
Linkedin is the most professional of all the Social Media platforms and the place where you should aim to establish yourself as an expert.
Joining groups, commenting on discussions and posting links to relevant articles are just some of the ways in which you can start to get noticed on Linkedin. Remember, that it is a corporate platform and the use of ‘emocions’ and other casual content should be avoided as it is your chance to show off your professionalism and the professionalism of your company.
