Exploring the World of Small Business Social Media
While SEO link building is considered a short-term tactic, long haul strategies based on website analysis and auditing will become a big focus in the new year if, for nothing else, to keep up with the competition. In most cases, said research will echo our first point: digital content is king in 2014. Thus, even small business social media is something to look forward to this coming year.
In the social media realm, Twitter is often seen as the most elusive platform. Small business owners, whose savvy often lies outside social media marketing, are often bewildered by Twitter. But no worries—Twitter is just as approachable as Facebook or YouTube, and when used effectively, Twitter can be an integral part of your digital marketing campaign and revolutionize how small business social media is done.
Here are some helpful tips when incorporating Twitter into your small business social media plan:
• Set goals and objectives. Sure, Twitter and social media are all the rage these days. But it’s important to know why you are using Twitter and what you plan to achieve through your efforts. Like any aspect of your business, setting concrete goals upfront helps you stay focused and get the most out of your time and money. Before embarking on a small business social media campaign, establish one primary goal and a few secondary goals.
• Establish your brand and its voice. Twitter is a platform bridging your brand and various audiences, whether it’s current customers, potential customers, stakeholders, influencers, partners or competitors. Be sure to set a tone that is appropriately professional and desirable for all followers.
• Craft thoughtful, relevant tweets. Don’t tweet solely for the sake of tweeting. Keep tweets in line with your goals and objectives, but make sure the content provides value to your followers. Include links to helpful content, videos or images, but whatever you do—don’t be overly promotional. Small business social media should have a personal touch in it, to make sure you make your customers feel special.
• Engage! Twitter is a multifaceted conversation between your brand, your followers and other Twitter users. Create a community, interact and build relationships. These potential relationships can help further your business objectives when executed correctly, whether through furthering the reach of your content or creating relationships with potential influencers.
• Use the search feature. Let’s be honest—social media can be kind of creepy in certain contexts. Psshh, whatever! Twitter was designed specifically for eavesdropping. That’s the beauty of the hashtag (Sidebar: Jimmy Fallon & JT dissect the proper use of the hashtag). Use the search bar on Twitter to search for keywords and hashtags relevant to your brand. Find those conversations and start engaging. After all, engagement is the key to a solid small business social media plan.
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