Discover How To Be Successful On Social Media

If you’re unsure on how to create a social media strategy that connects meaningfully with your customers, keep reading for the steps to success, pitfalls to avoid and several ways to add a little personality into your account. For many small business owners, social media marketing is a new and scary thing, but these simple steps should get you on a track to success. In the world of social media for your small business, there are also a number of potential hazards. Many businesses fall into one of these four danger zones: Social Media Marketing Pitfall #1 – Lack of Time and Budget for Social Networking Activities Using social networking platforms for your small business does not have to be expensive or time consuming. Instead, research and target one or two social networking sites that will create the best connections to your customers. Social Media Marketing Pitfall #2 – No Customer Engagement Think about the term, “Social networking.” ‘Social’ is in the name. Social Media Marketing Pitfall #4 – No Social Networking Plan Small business owners need to be strategic about how they use social media. One way you can engage and have fun with your audience is through the use of memes. Memes are a great way to add a bit of personality and humor into your social networking. There’s your meme!

Author: Danielle Winski / Source: Business 2 Community

Find out how your small business can use social media successfully. — Discover the secrets on how your small business can use social media successfully.

Most of today’s population has at least one social media account where they connect with friends and family as well as their favorite brands. In order to reach your audience in a direct and engaging manner, it is vital that your small business is on social media as well. If you’re unsure on how to create a social media strategy that connects meaningfully with your customers, keep reading for the steps to success, pitfalls to avoid and several ways to add a little personality into your account.

5 Steps to Get Started on Social Media

The world of social media can be daunting, stressful and chaotic, but extremely rewarding in the end. For many small business owners, social media marketing is a new and scary thing, but these simple steps should get you on a track to success.

Research –Before you take the plunge and jump into social media marketing for your small business, take the time to research your brand’s audience. Are they more likely to be on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram or Pinterest? What times of day are they the most active online? What kind of information are they interested in from social media? These are all crucial questions you need to find the answers to in order to make the most out of your social media attempts and connect with your audience.
Plan – After you have done your research, it is time to come up with a game plan. Diving head first into social media marketing without any sort of plan is like moving without boxes! This step is when you need think about the frequency you post, the time of your posts and your goals for social media. After you have a clear vision for your social media, set aside time every week so you can plan and draft your next set of social media. Doing this will ensure that you have fresh content ready for your audience to enjoy.
Organize – Now that you have a plan, sort out your priorities. What tools can you utilize to make your life easier? For social networking, schedule your posts ahead of time. Websites like HootSuite and SproutSocial allow you to organize your social media days or even weeks in advance. Organization is key to keeping stress levels at a minimum.
Execute – You are now ready to post your first round of social media. It’s really not that scary to tweet, post and/or pin. One thing to remember during this step is do not get discouraged if you aren’t seeing immediate responses. It takes time and consistency to build your audience; keep pushing forward and your patience will be rewarded!
Reflect – How did it go? What could you do next time to make it less stressful? Social media marketing is always changing, so take time to reflect on how your campaign is going. What worked last week may not be working this week. New trends are always on the rise and old ones fade into background noise. One thing is for sure: when it comes to social media there’s always room for improvement.

These steps are a great starting point to help steer you in the right direction for your business’ social networking strategy. Keep these steps handy if you ever find yourself struggling or need to refresh your social media marketing strategy with some new life.