- Do I really need to be on Social Media? Where do I start?
- I created a FB page, LinkedIn profile, Twitter account but now what? I’m not getting any sales from it
- I was told that everything on Social Media is free. Is that really the case?
Getting on to a social media can be a tough task for Small Business that is not familiar with how it works. So, here are a few tips for such firms:
1. One step at a time
There is an ever-growing range of social media technologies and it is important for small business to pick a few that you'd like to get started with. You are still learning how to use these technologies and until the tricks and tips are mastered, it is best to stick to the key Social Media sites. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn could be a few top ones and perhaps YouTube is where you'd like to post the videos.
2.Don't broadcast, but engage
Folks who like your page or connect with you are your fans. And remember that they are not married to you. If it is as easy as 1-2-3 to "Like" your page, it is as easy to get off your page. So, make sure that you engage your audience and not bore them with unnecessary useless feeds. As you post something or share a tweet, put yourself in the customer's shoes and ask yourself "What is it in for me?". It does not have to be promotions/discounts, but stuff that keeps them engaged. I remember a restaurant posting a YouTube video where the chef gave the viewers the recipe for the most popular dish. Interesting, isn't it?
3.Content is King
Nothing much to add here! The content on Social Media sites needs to be top class. Post something that folks can "share" or "retweet". I knew a Carpet Cleaning firm once that occasionally shared tips on how to keep the carpets neat and clean. If you run an apparel store, go ahead and let folks know what is the latest in fashion and if you can have that. It'll make you sound like an expert and build your credibility too. My experience has been that owners of Small Business have loads of wisdom. I think it is high time that these need to be shared. Of course, one of the challenges that small business face here is that they are so busy running their own business that it is not easy to create this type of content on a regular basis. But if planned well and with some help, this is not a big ask.
4.You can track progress
The best part about Social Media is that it is focused and there are some easy metrics that you could use to measure results. There are many tools available in the market to measure results but I'd suggest you stick to some simple, free metrics.
For example:
-Number of connections on LinkedIn / FB will help the business understand the profile of it customers.
- Number of followers on Twitter allows the business to understand its "popularity" on Twitter
5.Be patient to see results
I often see enthusiastic small business set up their accounts and then get disappointed that they are not seeing any results. My take: results will come over a period of time. You'll need to be a bit more disciplined with your posts, messages before you notice visible results. Till then, make best use of the Social Media. To start with, you might want to follow a discussion out in the social media about you. It costs nothing but you'll learn a lot. You'll get to know customer feedback, views and areas of improvement. These will be important for defining your future activities or tasks. Over a period of time, you'll find that new relationships can also be developed.
It is not that every Small Business needs to be on Social Media. But yes, you need to understand what it is and how it can shape your business (build awareness, generate leads, and improve customer relationship) and figure out what is best for you. The owner of a hotel believed that Facebook for Business was a waste of time until his son who was very active on Facebook had some discussions with me. The son was convinced, and as a test created a FB page for his business. He started the page with certain inputs from me. It gave them some tangible results. Excited, they had hired a Social Media manager. As I write this post today, they have about 1200 members who "like" their page. They have a clear roadmap now on how Social Media can help their business and what they'd like to do in the coming months. Not bad for someone who thought Social Media was addictive and not productive!
No comments:
Post a Comment