Social media – is everywhere and it is fast becoming a part of our everyday lives and those who are in business and DON’T take advantage of social media are going to be left behind. Many people in business have a *wait and see* approach to social media, preferring to see how well social media takes off before trying it for their own business – but the longer you wait, the more you will lose. Why? Because everyone else in your field already has their product or service out there – getting their brand out in front of literally millions of people. Their branding is already getting noticed, their customer base is growing – their goals are being met.
You’re probably thinking, I don’t need social media, I have a website and while that’s great – if you think having a website is enough – you are badly mistaken! So many of your current – and potential future clients are using social media and they are beginning to expect more from businesses – they expect their favourite brands to communicate with them. You need a social media platform to stay relevant – build on an existing customer base, to grow that customer base and to just survive.
If you don’t have a lot of money, that’s fine – social media is actually very cost effective, with a better return than advertising that is *non-trackable* (such as letter box drops). Blogging is also an excellent communication tool. It raises awareness of who you are, what you do or offer and increases your credibility. Readers will gain more confidence in your products or services which in turn builds loyalty. If you already have a website you will notice an increase in traffic which leads to an increase in sales. As social media platforms are usually FREE you’ll find an increased return with little or no outlay.
Don’t hesitate – to avoid the pitfalls of starting in the wrong area simply start with the big 4 – Facebook, You Tube, LinkedIn and Twitter. If you want to share your information, if you want people to find you and if you want customers to get to know you – you simply need to share your information with them. Don’t just sell, share information, anything that’s entertaining, fun, or educational, social media exists to lead your fans to your website – use your website to do the selling.
- TWITTER – allows you to post on any topics you like, this is free and will alert all your fans or followers when you add a new *tweet*
- YOU TUBE – with the average user spending 15 mins on the site it is a great platform for anyone who wants to put themselves in front of an audience – all for free
- LINKEDIN – is aimed at professionals but it is still a great way to network and promote your business. Those in your network can recommend or refer you to others which gives you and your business extra credibility.
- FACEBOOK – The average user spends 30 to 60 minutes per day on the site making this the best site for social media – it’s the audience you NEED to get your business in front of. Set up a facebook fan/business page, being on facebook is a must!
Go do it! Social media can you help you gain website traffic, brand your business, generate leads, turn those leads into customers, build new partnerships and generate exposure. Social media is here to stay and the question is – are you going to take advantage of it?