It would be better to be excellent at a few things, than ok at everything. This is how social media works. Small businesses do not have the man power it takes to handle 20 different social media sites. If the owner/founder/manager is updating the social media sites, he/she should stick to one to three things that they could excel at. Don't do a Pinterest account just to post 30 things in one day and then never post again, that isn't helping your company. It is best to be active daily on all sites you put your organization into. If you dip your pen into a bunch of inks, it is going to smear across the page. Do Facebook, Twitter and possibly a blog really well in order to draw in fans. Post every day, post often, and respond to your comments and fans. It is best to communicate with the public through social media sites, not just shout news and updates at them without any responses...pretty soon, people will stop listening. Look at this article from social media today as an example:
"I’ve Done Social Media and it Doesn’t Work"As a social media manager, I’ve heard many clients say these exact words. It took a while but I have now learned how to hear those words without laughing. It’s the whole concept that social media is something to be “done,” like it’s the end result of a process. Social Media isn’t a thing to be done. It’s just a part of a process of business promotion that includes of advertising, marketing, communication and most importantly, creating relationships. In the business world, social media can be a great tool to use to promote your products and services. Social media sites can help you build relationships with potential customers, increase the responsiveness and effectiveness of your customer service and find new and creative ways to generate more sales. For the small business owner, social media can be especially effective if approached in the right way.For the small business, social media needs to be about the conversation between their business and its customers, or potential customers and building a level of trust and loyalty. In their rush to do social, there are some fundamental errors that many small businesses make when they initiate a social media strategy to further their business. The initial mistake occurs when they use social media to showcase their own products and services and fail to connect with other business or their customers. In order to succeed using social media, social media must be used as one of the strategies to increase business. Take note of the following truths:
Social Media Isn’t QuickAs a small business owner, time is money and typically, there isn't a large marketing budget to go around. The first mistake many small business owners make when starting a social media campaign is thinking that because of the numbers – 900 million on Facebook, 200 million of Twitter – social media is a quick fix. As a result, the small business owner often gets excited about the potential of social media. They sign up on various social networking platforms, they post and tweet and get a few followers. They toot (or tweet) their own horn and can’t figure out why their company hasn’t gone viral yet. They fail to realize that social media is a long-term process that should be integrated into their overall marketing strategy.
Social Media Is About Listening to Your AudienceWhen a small business owner creates a social media plan focusing solely on marketing and sales, they have totally missed the boat. The key word in social media is, of course, social. While an end result of a complete social media and marketing strategy is about increasing your business and, ultimately, sales, it needs to start with a conversation. No one goes on a social media site to be talked at, sold to or to see constant advertisements. While there is nothing wrong with a bit of self-promotion, it’s a mistake to spend the majority of your time promoting yourself and your business. As an entrepreneur, it is up to you to listen to your customers instead of just sending out messages all the time. Listening to your audience, responding and providing them with excellent service and value is the best way to create a strong and loyal following who will, in turn, promote your business for you.
Check out the entire article here.
-Courtney
