How to Make the Most of Social Media Marketing

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Microsoft Office for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Simply put, social media provides your business with a medium for free advertising—but at the same time, it’s much more than that. Social media allows you to immediately test your audience’s reaction to new products and services, as well as the campaigns you implement online and the ways in which you interact with customers. Shaping a presence on a handful of platforms gives consumers an extra space in which to explore your brand and get a feel for your company’s “vibe,” which in turn lets you reach a wider pool of leads. You can also build an advantage by keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing online, then taking note of what works for them (and what doesn’t). In short, social media is an essential tool for any small business, and you’d be doing your company a major disservice by ignoring its power.

Recognizing the potential growth you could receive from social media, however, likely isn’t your problem. While you could just jump right in and entirely “DIY” your online marketing plan, it’s in your best interest to start off with a few useful tips. Try these strategies, tailored specifically for startups, to make the most of your new social media presence.

social media marketing

Be picky (at first).

Too many businesses jump straight onto the registration pages for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, and Pinterest all at once—and if that list was exhausting to read, think about how tiring it would be to try to stay consistent with all of those platforms. Unless you have a social media guru on your team whose only job is to handle online marketing, your business is better off starting with a select few platforms on which to build a Web audience. Before you rush to reserve a Snap handle for your company, do some research on the best social media sites for your niche. If you specialize in selling handmade jams, LinkedIn probably isn’t the best choice for your business—but you could share recipes using your creations through channels like Pinterest, Tumblr, and even YouTube. If you manage the ultimate personal injury law firm, those three platforms aren’t going to satisfy your needs; instead, you’ll likely use Facebook and LinkedIn to connect with potential clients. Take a look at what similar businesses are doing online, then make sure you can keep up with the few platforms you’ve picked before signing up for them. You can also keep in touch with Microsoft Office’s Small Business Academy to hear what experts have to say on selecting the right social media channels for your niche. Remember: you can always start small, then expand into a wider range of platforms later on.

Learn to concisely convey your brand’s purpose.

When a friend emails you a funny or educational ten-minute video, do you press “play” immediately and settle in for the show—or do you groan and promise your friend you’ll watch it later? If you’re a busy entrepreneur, it’s probably the latter. Less is more with social media and online interaction; people don’t have the time (or want to devote it) to pore over endless material. Though this tidbit of information is important during the application of daily Web duties, it’s perhaps most vital when it comes to setting up your social media pages. When leads visit your startup’s Facebook page or glance over your Twitter feed, they don’t want to be met with a bio fit to become the next Great American Novel. Instead, they want to get a quick feel for what your company stands for, what it provides to the public, and where it can be found (whether that’s on a website or at a physical location is up to your business type). If what you give them contradicts their expectations, they’ll be turned off and leave your page. If your bio or “about us” tab is exactly what they need or want to hear, however, you’ll be able to watch as your follower count skyrockets.

social media marketing - concise blurb

Practice conveying to others—both online and in person—what your business represents. What sets it apart from similar companies? What is the overall tone it wants to impart on its audience? Is there any reason people should give you their money (social responsibility, lower prices, up-to-date products) over someone else? Hopefully you figured all of this out before launching your business, but even if you did, you’ll need to figure out how to express it in a way that’s short and sweet. Then plug it in online; if you notice people aren’t hanging around on your page for very long before taking off, try tweaking your intro to generate more interest. Successful social media marketers frequently share their secrets to gaining online leads through the Small Business Academy.

Pay attention.

Just because you’ve finally hit your first 1,000 followers doesn’t mean the work is over. Contrary to popular belief, existing followers don’t necessarily generate new ones on their own; and once you’ve built a decent Web audience, you have a reputation to maintain. Sure—those who already love your brand may pin your Pinterest content to new boards for their friends to see, but that’s about where the ball stops rolling.

social media marketing - pay attention

As mentioned at the start, social media is a fantastic way of keeping track of what your audience likes and dislikes, what they want out of your business and what they could do without, and even why they like the stuff you’re selling. Take advantage of the transparency! Rather than simply posting an update to your Tumblr blog every other day, pay attention to what your followers are saying about your brand by peeking at the “notes” every now and then. The same goes for Facebook, where followers can comment on (and now “react to”) your posts; Instagram, where other users can “like,” comment on, and “re-gram” photos; and the list goes on. By keeping up with what your followers are saying about your brand—or even how your follower count fluctuates after an important change—you can adjust your branding and marketing strategies accordingly, which makes for a far more successful business in the end. Through the Small Business Academy, it’s easy to get tips on how to effortlessly interact with and adjust for your audience in a way that leaves a lasting impression.

Building a brand-new social media presence for your startup doesn’t have to be scary—start off with these three tips, then subscribe to the Microsoft Office Small Business Academy to hone your entrepreneurial expertise, learn about new marketing strategies, and learn from some of the world’s most skillful business owners. Would you rather be the boss than work for one? If so, the Small Business Academy is the perfect place for you. Register here.

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Matthew Toren
 

Matthew Toren is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, investor and co-founder of YoungEntrepreneur.com. He is co-author, with his brother Adam, of Kidpreneurs.org, BizWarriors.com and Small Business, BIG Vision: Lessons on How to Dominate Your Market from Self-Made Entrepreneurs Who Did it Right (Wiley).