The importance of using social media marketing in small business cannot be stressed enough. But only about 50 percent of businesses will set aside the time and money for it, and only 12 percent actually feel that it is a must in their marketing strategy. Believe it or not, now is the time to take advantage of social media marketing avenues since there is less competition right now. If you are one of the few that have already jumped on that band wagon, congratulations – you are step or two ahead of your competitors.
It should be mentioned that using social media marketing is not something that gets results over night. You have to put in some time and effort to make it work well for you. The first thing to do is to find where your customers are the most comfortable, and find your target demographic. You have to consider the age group, gender, career, social media activities, and other demographics. Knowing the social media sites that your customers use the most will help you to focus your attention and marketing dollars where they will do you the most good.
Be sure that you do some social networking with your customers. Encourage their participation with brief surveys, coupon codes, fun facts, or ask them for suggestions to solve a problem. Update your social profiles and status routinely to show your customers that you are there for them. Be approachable, and resolve any issues that come up as soon as possible. Your customers will see that you care what they feel about your business and your products or services.
Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged. Continue to generate movement on your social sites and you will notice that your customer base will continue to grow. If social media is not your forte, outsourcing for low pay or an internship is an option. No matter how you get it done, get into the social media marketing arena.
If you are already using social media successfully, share your tips here. Your experience can help others to avoid common mistakes.
