I travel quite a bit, especially for speaking engagements and business development. I often meet business owners that are struggling in their business. They are looking for help and answers to the age old problem of competition in today’s changing marketplace.
Back in the day, you could build a store or a business, do some print ads and mailers and people would find you. The growth of your business depended on your advertising dollar and marketing plan, for the most part. Of course, how you ran your business and other factors would be included in the equation as well.
In today’s business environment, the market has shifted greatly and the old way of doing business is probably not going to be enough to help you compete and grow your business like you need and want. Yes, your advertising budget is involved, but there are also new ways to advertise and reach consumers that you need to incorporate into your marketing plan as well.
Social Media is a buzzword that just cannot be ignored in a small business any more. With business becoming more and more mobile, the need for instant gratification is growing too. Customers can pick up their smartphone, look up a business or item and shop anywhere, at any time.
Harnessing the power of social media is a necessary part of a solid, growing business today. For many use to the old school method, it can be a hard change. However, adding some form of social media is going to allow you to reach younger clients and others that prefer to do business online – the ones you are probably missing from your marketing plan you currently are using.
Begin with what you know. Most people usually have a Facebook account and start with that. Begin by adding a business page and sharing your businesses information. Conversationally tell people what you have to offer.
If you are in Real Estate, share your listings. If you are in a retail environment, share your sales, promos, new items. Have your family and friends share and help you grow the followers. Encourage your customers to follow you and share your page. Allow them to post pictures and engage with them on your page. Being social means just that – develop relationships with your customers and followers.
If Facebook is not your thing, choose another social media channel that would work for you. Here is a list of several popular ones that work well with small businesses.
Pinterest – Perfect for Image heavy sites and businesses with product
Instagram – Mobile app that works with images only
Twitter – Great for interacting with followers, sharing your info, blog posts, etc.
Facebook – Business pages are great for posts, images, conversation
Start with just one and once you become comfortable, see some nice growth and interaction, add another social media outlet. You do not have to do them all. However, you need to be consistent with the ones you do use. Post frequently and encourage your customers to follow you for the best results.
You don’t have to be a pro to start; you just have to start to become a pro. Social media can help your business reach new customers and fight competition. Just be you and have fun with it!