Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are important for your business because they provide an open forum for the community. They offer a free venue to market your brand, let you share news about your products and services and provides a virtual place where you can interact directly with your customers. Social media leaves a door open for potential customers and gives you a quick and easy way to share special offers.
Social media marketing works best when you are transparent, when you engage with your customers and when you give something back. It doesn’t work as well if you oversell, rush, or forget to listen.
Here are some popular social media sites and how you can use them to your advantage:
Facebook offers a mini, all-in-one marketing firm for your business. By using Facebook, you can:
- Advertise deals, new services and products
- Post pictures of events
- Customize your page with a profile picture, cover photo and applications (apps)
- Share future products or events
- Interact with customers
- Make connections
Twitter is a short-but-sweet blogging service that gives your business 140 characters to:
- Promote your services and products
- Interact with current and potential customers
- Comment on other companies
- Share links and pictures
- Advertise deals and coupons
Google+ is your communications tool:
- Think of Google+ as your brand hub
- Your page, profile image and recent posts are eligible to show up when relevant to a customer’s search
- Relevant posts can also show up within search results for your page’s followers
- Host Hangouts (similar to group video chats)
- Communities allows groups to form around particular interests
- Content sharing on Google+ is similar to Facebook
Pinterest is a virtual pin board for your business, focused primarily on photos and videos:
- Post pictures and videos of your products and services as well as other interesting content
- Follow popular brands and organizations
- Interact with your brand’s most loyal customers
LinkedIn is a professional networking website to help you:
- Build up your business contacts
- Find and hire talent for your business
- Discuss business solutions and tips with other businesses in your field
- Develop a network with professionals in different areas to improve your business
