Comm 450 Blog 1 Social Media

Photo by: sitemonkeysupreme

    In the last several years, social media has truly reinvented business marketing and its successful strategies.  It is not impossible to have a successful business without employing the help of social media, but it just doesn’t make sense.  Granted, some business owners, especially small business owners, may feel overwhelmed or helpless when it comes to social media.  After all, many times they cannot afford to outsource the work and may feel inadequate to fill the position themselves.  But, they may just not understand some simple steps to take to improve their businesses and marketing strategies. 

Here are some easy ways to help build any business’s social media:

1.      Put yourself out there on the web.  Developing websites can be difficult and confusing, so not everyone can do it.  Unfortunately, that may be a job for a specialist but you can always give it a try.  YouTube and Google can give a lot of website development help.  If you are not prepared to develop a website, though, developing Facebook and Twitter pages are pretty self-explanatory.  Use your Smartphone (if you do not have one I am sure someone you know does) to upload some quick photos, update statuses occasionally with important news, interact with your clients and customers, and show the public what your company is all about.

Photo by: Colin ZHU

2.      Start a blog.  Sites like Blogger.com are easy to set up and use.  You can even link your blog back to your Facebook page or your Website.  This is a great way to put your company out there and gain a following.  Readers can respond to your blog and you can show off your company’s personal style.

3.      Send out email blasts.  Once you have gained even a small following, sending out a mass email to remind customers about important information can be very beneficial for your company.  But remember, make sure to only send emails out for important information so people do not unsubscribe or become tired of receiving emails.  This is a less personal communication between you and your customers, but if used correctly can be effective.

4.      Do not over do it, but genuinely interact with customers.  Updating posts frequently and sending out email blasts often may seem like a good idea, but it can be too much.  In order for people to not become bored or tired with your company, only special announcements and information need to be updated.  Also, if you do not update every day with unimportant news, individuals will respect your posts more and will be more likely to think your posts are worth paying attention to.