Make Sure You’re Never Too Busy To Include Social Media In Your Business!
Take a look around at many of the traditional brick & mortar businesses across the country. Likely you will find that their sales have been in a bit of a slump no thanks to the down economy. It always surprises us here at Posse Social Media how many of these businesses we reach out to with advice on how to include social media marketing in order to draw more clients only to hear the remark that they are way too busy to worry with something like that.
Interestingly, a Regus survey completed in the first week of June 2011 reported that Chinese firms and Indian firms both incorporate successful social media marketing campaigns to the tune of 65% and 61% respectively. In comparison, only 44% of US based companies have made the same commitment to increasing their business through such means.
This raises an important question: if 78% of polled execs agree that it is necessary for a successful business to do so, why are only 44% making that commitment? I mean, common folks, the return is obviously such that it is worth the initial small cost of getting started. Take a clue from Dell – when they started using Twitter they saw a return of $3 million dollars!
Maybe it’s the fact that many small or brand new businesses simply don’t know what to do to get their social media campaigns off the ground. Questions like – should I use direct marketing or concentrate more on lead generation, how do I work on branding, or how do I increase customer loyalty with social media – may really stump some of these folks. Here is one really quick and simple clue – start at the beginning and take it in steps.
Step One – Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn Profiles are a must!
Make sure that you create a business profile rather than a personal one. That means no pics of the kids or pets! Your company logo is the best choice for you avatar pic. A headshot can also make a great choice. Also, keep it about the business – don’t add personal messages to these accounts!
Step Two – Let the Social Media Determine Your Marketing Strategy
Sending out business postcards is a great idea. That being said, the message you use there shouldn’t be the same one used for Facebook posts or blog posts. Remember, you are attempting to create a two-way conversation with your clients and potential clients. Viral marketing can be great when utilized properly as long as you remember to include its cost in your budget.
Step Three – Include Your Peers in Your Social Network
If you have ever participated in conventions or trade shows, then you will understand the need to interact with your peers. It works much the same way with social media. When you begin your networking try to select a beginning outlet such as LinkedIn and use it as means of interacting with your peers. Find out what they are doing to grow a business and what works for them. It may just work for you as well.
Step Four – Throw The Old Saying Out The Window!
The old chestnut – if it’s not broke, don’t fix it – is dead. Throw it out! Try playing around with different social media tools to see what works best for you. Take Twitter for example; tools like TweetDeck can help make using Twitter easier. Facebook, WordPress, and other types of social media outlets all have various tools available to help make the job easier.
Step Five – Know Where You Are Coming From
If you don’t know where your business is at when beginning your social media campaign, it will be difficult if not impossible to judge whether there has been any improvement. Gather baseline metrics so that you will be able to identify room for improvement later on.
Now, I know that it sounds like a lot of hoops to jump through, but trust me. If you take a deep breath and take time to learn all you can when and wherever the chance presents itself, you will have a much easier time increasing your business. You will attract new clients and strengthen relationships with existing ones. How much more incentive could you need? Now tell me, why in the world would you ever be too busy to grow your business so easily?