Social Media: You're Doing It Wrong

Social media has become critical in the business world. Businesses world wide have flocked to the web to setup their Facebook Page, Twitter account, and Instagram profiles. However, most businesses are doing it wrong. In the past, marketing was a "set and forget" strategy. To understand how social media works, you have to understand why social media has taken the lead for advertising in some markets. The rise of social media is due, in great part, to the decline of the non-interactive print media format. It isn't really possible to update print media. For example, if an advertisement in a magazine gets printed with a typo, that typo will always be in those printed issues. Social media enables information to be published quickly and easily. This is great news for small businesses because you don't need a million dollar budget to get your company's message "out there". Below are 3 things you can do right now to improve your social media strategy.

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Many small businesses setup up their social media profiles with great intentions, but stop updating it after about a month. This is one of the worst things you can do! Potential customers see an inactive Twitter account as an inactive company. Your company should be posting something at least once a week, even if it's something simple.

Talk To Your Followers
Social media is more than asking people to buy your stuff... Social media is actually social (see what I did there?). It's important to post more than just your latest products. Sometimes asking a question is a great way to get potential customers involved and take interest in your company. Holidays are also a great time to send a friendly message.

Sponsor Posts Carefully
With so much competition, social media marketing is fast paced and fierce. Most social sites offer the ability to promote or sponsor a post. Research who your customers are and what platform they prefer. This is where you should spend SOME of your marketing dollars.

Social media is always evolving, but these basic tips should give you a good start!