5 Ways to Maximize Social Media for Your Business

Social Media, like Facebook and Twitter, can be a daunting experience filled with lingo, made up words, hashtags, and who Suzy took to prom last week. But weaved inside the drama and crazy pictures of cats wearing melons, are gold nuggets of opportunity. Small businesses around the US are expanding their comfort zones and dipping their toes into the vast ocean that is social media. Many businesses do not realize how influential using social media can be. Used correctly, social media can shoot them over the moon and into maximization of profits for your company.

But it’s not just about getting your name out there, no. It’s about how you relate to your audience, how you interact with them, how you keep them engaged, and how you get them to want to buy what you have. It isn’t hard to get people to visit sites (or your site for that matter), it’s all about how you get them to stay interested. So how do you do that? Well, I’ll use this handy dandy blog to help you maximize social media for your benefit in 5 ways.

Here we go:

1. You don’t need to tell customers you’re the best, you need CUSTOMERS to tell YOU you’re the best.

By making customer reviews and ratings one of your main focus points, you not only eliminate the unnecessary need to TELL them what they want and need, but allow the customers to convince each other that whatever you have, they want and should buy it. Having customer reviews is the best way to get your name out there and it’s the best form of advertisement (not to mention saves money as well). Research shows that customer reviews can boost how often your company comes up on Google when searched. The more your customers talk about your business, the higher the odds of your company being found. This is not only great for traffic on your site, but a 2009 Nielsen Survey concludes that about 90% of participants trusted recommendations from people they knew, while 70% trusted consumer opinions posted online. Now, not everything a consumer posts is going to be positive, but that’s okay. Negative feedback gives your company an opportunity to focus on what is going wrong and fix it. Afterall, it is better to have more than one pair of eyes on something. Addressing negative feedback will not only give you great credit with your consumers, but also show that you care enough to make changes for them and in return, they are more likely to write positive reviews about your company.

Facebook has helpful features like surveys and polls that you can use to mimic the same thing. It’s not only interactive, but gets more people on your social media site. You can also use sites like SurveyMonkey to rate people’s opinions and comments and share the link via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even Google+. Great stuff.

 2. Social media is a great way for you, as a company or small business, to stay in contact with your clients. 

Research shows that about 79% of adults are already using some form of social media and that is growing fast! That percentage doesn’t include teenagers and young adults that purchase things online. Over 80% of youngins are using social media in basically all of its forms. When using popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, you are attracting a wide variety of ages, making the likelihood of them buying something from your company greater. By posting regularly on these social media channels, you are more than likely going to appeal to more consumers who also regularly peruse social media outlets.

It’s important to remember that customers can make or break you. Keep them interested, keep them important, keep them buying, keep them sharing. Recent research shows that people respond better to visuals and local information. Meaning, they love that picture of Betty wearing that new hat she got from your store, or that new pair of shoes Ben got for christmas this year. People respond to pictures.

3. Determine which social media channels the competition is using. Figure out what’s best for you.

That’s right, like it or not, they are using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. to appeal to a wider and wider range of customers that could potentially be yours. Do not be afraid to delve into social media, but knowing which one to use can be confusing and intimidating. Make sure you’re using the right social media platform and get a leg up on competition, which leads me to…

4. Establish what type of information you’ll be sending out to your potential consumers.

Are you going to base your content on photography of your inventory? Maybe Instagram is the way to go. Do you have a story to tell? Maybe Facebook is the better option. Maybe you just want to have quick and simple updates, short sweet and to the point. That would be Twitter. Or maybe you just combine all three and call it a day? Eh, simple enough. There are thousands of ways to establish an online presence without getting lost in the world wide web. Take advantage of this opportunity to get yourself acquainted with social media. After all, it isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

 And last but not least,

5. PROMOTE!

The great thing about social media is how it is all connected. The last, but not ultimate, piece of advice I can give: PROMOTE! Put your social media badges on your website, in emails, everywhere you are marketing your brand. Once you choose which channels are best for your business, make sure to keep them all active. Treat your social media like your kids, equal attention, plenty of water and exercise, and don’t play favorites. It’s vital to your business to keep all of your platforms consistent and contradiction free.

Want to know more and just can’t wait? Check out this book on Amazon called Maximize Your Social: A One-Stop Guide to Building a Social Media Strategy for Marketing and Business Success by Neal Schaffer. This will give you more insight into social media and hey, it looks impressive on the bookshelf!

More interested in video? Well, lucky you.