Tuesday, January 24, 2017

The 8 Most Important Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

It is no secret that the world of marketing has shifted significantly. Businesses of all sizes are actively seeking social media to fill in gaps, reach their customers, and branch out to more people. Many have been successful in these endeavors but it is not always an easy path, unfortunately. A little research and planning certainly go a long way but without it many businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs find themselves struggling to properly utilize and make the best of their social media marketing opportunities. Small businesses are in the optimal position to reap the rewards of social media marketing and we’ve found some of the most important tidbits of advice that every small business owner absolutely needs to read about and implement if they want to see success. There are clear-cut rules and tricks that make social media marketing a cinch and a success including proper planning, the right staffing, devotion, community, a proper process, a strategy for content, balance with advertising, and analyzing results. If it all seems overwhelming, rest assured that truly it is not. Once you read through our tips you walk away feeling prepared to tackle your goals head on.

Develop a marketing PLAN.

Truthfully, most tasks will seem daunting at first. That is precisely why everything you do should begin with a PLAN. There are multiple things to take into consideration as you set out on your path in social media marketing. Having an action plan and acknowledging your objectives is a phenomenal way to get started. Some important questions to ask yourself in the beginning:

What do you expect to gain from utilizing social media? What do you want social media marketing to do FOR you? What do you hope to gain from this platform? For the most part, your goals will probably look like: expanding your business, pulling in new clients, and building a better relationship with both your current customers and future clients.
Who is your target audience and how are you going to get their attention? Understanding who your business appeals the most to is a great place to start when thinking about who your target audience is. This leads to the next question, as well.
What specific social media platforms best suit your business niche? Each platform has specific benefits and choosing the right one(s) for you and what you’re offering and selling is extremely important. You don’t want to waste time, effort, or money on a platform that doesn’t appeal to your target audience. We’ve discussed this before but as a brief reminder so I’ll offer some examples of what I mean. Instagram and Pinterest are very visual platforms ideal for businesses that center around crafts and art. Twitter and LinkedIn tend to target a more professional clientele. Facebook has the potential to reach just about everyone!

Read full article here: https://postblazer.com/blog/the-8-most-important-social-media-marketing-tips-for-small-businesses