Social Media Marketing: The Best Platforms For Small Businesses
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Small businesses need to be seen. Outgrown by its competitors and overshadowed by the larger companies; a startup is a risky business, so you need to play your cards right. There are so many opportunities for growth when you’re still young – it’s almost too tempting to grab each idea and launch a social media campaign in every corner, attempting to stay on top of blogs, vlogs, and everything else that’s trendy.
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Needless to say, it will only cause confusion. Avoid the typical marketing mistakes of a small startup by gaining a bit of knowledge; it will save you time, as well as a waste of valuable resources that could have been better spent elsewhere.
Finding your platform
Being seen means that you need to be present, and it’s no wonder that so many small businesses create an account for each social media platform. After a few weeks or months, however, these profiles tend to take on the look of a ghost town.
You don’t have to have one foot on Facebook, another on Twitter, and a third, wherever you’ve got that from, on Instagram – especially when you’re not sure what to use them for.
Keep a few well-maintained accounts, even if that just means one or two in the beginning. Your business is more likely to be seen and get the right kind of attention when you continuously update and create original content for its account; rather than the sad look of a mute Twitter account.
With so much of your marketing depending on tech, you should have a reliable IT support and consulting company handy. Know when to outsource your social media campaigns, too, and make sure the content speaks to your consumers. It is a matter of budget and skills, and you know better than any what you can afford – if maintaining a blog and writing catchy content isn’t quite your thing, you should consider someone else for the job.
Facebook: To Reach the Masses
Facebook has the largest network of them all, and it makes sense to start here. With this account, you’ll be able to reach out to prospective customers and build a network for them to be a part of. It’s easy to keep track of the advertisement, as well as finding prospects with similar characteristics as your current consumers – so simple and cost-effective.
Expand your network on Facebook by being active in groups that could find what you’re offering useful; casual and friendly conversations are the best way to promote yourself.
Twitter: Retweet and follow
Another platform that deserves mention is Twitter. Use it for posting recent news, updates, and links to articles that are relevant to your business and its market. It’s a great way to expand your network too, just like with Facebook; retweet those who have a lot of followers and hope that they follow you back so that you can grow.
Keep in mind that the hashtag is a powerful symbol and necessary to keep up with what’s trending.
You’re in control of how much success you’re going to have on social media. It’s not just about finding the platform with the most users; at the end of the day, you need to be able to reach out to those who are relevant to your business. Start with a few accounts, master these, and build as you go – it will only give you more exposure and increase your profits over time.
