Ask any business owner what their biggest concern is and most likely they will say something along the lines of continuing to bring in a profit, continuing to grow and making sure they stay afloat.
Most small businesses fail within one year of starting, so this concern is legitimate. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in business for decades, growth is always something to think about.
Here’s where social media comes into play – it provides you with tools to effectively communicate your business needs.
Identify Your Goals
The article “5 Steps to identify your business communication needs” explains how you can easily figure out your business’ unique communication technology.
Step one is simple – identify what your trouble areas are. Do you need to switch phone systems? Or perhaps you need a more strategic social media marketing plan.
Identifying your needs is crucial in improving your business.
Once you’ve determined your needs, set goals and get a plan of action in place, determine your budget, organize and evaluate, and finally, bring in the experts if needed.
Specifically for social media, this plan of action is crucial.
The last step – bringing in the experts – is something you will need to highly consider.
Running an effective social media marketing plan takes hours and hours of work. Do you have time to take this on yourself? Are your strengths better suited in a different area of your business?
If so, you may want to consider hiring a social media manager to grow your business.
Top Social Media Platforms
By now, all business owners know the importance of having a Facebook page, Twitter page and LinkedIn profile. These three platforms are no longer an option; they are a necessity to your business.
There are many other slightly less common, yet still incredibly effective, platforms you can market your business on.
These include:
- Pinterest – Pinterest is quickly rising to the top and becoming one of the best social media platforms. Pinterest is all about pinnable images that go viral and can bring in tons of new business to your company. If you can visually represent your company, you will want to use Pinterest as a platform for success;
- Instagram – Instagram is similar to Pinterest in that it’s a visual platform that appeals to younger, in-the-know users. It usually overlaps with Twitter as many users use both platforms simultaneously. If you sell any type of product or provide a service where before and after photos can be shown, Instagram will be a great way to market your business;
- YouTube – Who knew that the music video platform was such a prominent tool for businesses? If you’re looking for a tutorial on best communication technologies, for example, YouTube is one source you don’t want to miss. Or, if you’re looking to showcase what your product does, what better way than by making a video tutorial?
Whether you’re looking to improve a process, such as technology or you’re looking to grow your business, social media plays is huge help.
Reach out to fans, friends and followers for referrals and continue to reach out to new customers who can add to your business.
Social media has made the potential of many small businesses limitless.
Photo credit: Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net