Social media for business 101

Using social media for business has become a mainstay in the digital marketing world, so be sure that your small business doesn’t get left in the dust.

The number of social media users has continued to grow in the last several years, and businesses have noticed. Whether you choose Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or another network, here are some tips on using social media for business.

• Create a voice for your brand. – Doing research on your target audience can be a big help when figuring out the types of topics you should be talking about in your social media posts. Always strive to be honest about your brand and start a conversation about anything related to your business.
• Incentives to get people to follow along. – The hardest part of connecting with new users on social media is reaching them in the first place, so create incentives to get customers to engage with your company on Twitter and Facebook. Offering a discount or sample every time users follow your social media accounts can create more awareness about your business and expand your network exponentially.
• Share photos and breaking news. – Once you have a following on social media, you should take the time to update your audience on new products and services your business is launching, along with sneak peeks and photos to keep them interested. When users start engaging with your posts, be sure to keep up to date in your responses to keep them coming back to the conversation.
• Address negative reviews quickly. – You can’t always control if a customer has a bad experience with your product or service. The best thing you can do if they write negative reviews on social media is to address the issues quickly and courteously. Apologizing and offering a complimentary product or service can help turn their opinion around and diminish the influence of their poor review.
• Integrate your social media channels. – Incorporating social sharing widgets on your business website and encouraging users to share interesting posts with their friends on other networks can widen your audience and further expand your reach. Incorporating social media for business into your marketing plan can be a great way to monitor customer sentiment in real time and better understand which direction you should guide your business towards in the future.

Tell us! How does your business use social media ? How has your business benefitted from having a larger social media presence?