The world is ever more connected thanks to the plethora of social media platforms
Social media has been around for some time now and having some kind of online presence is a must for even the smallest of businesses, even if it is just a website. The world has relies on using the internet to find information and find it quickly. Your commitment to using social media to help market and create awareness that your business exists is dependant on how to use it, understanding how it fits into your business, what you want to achieve from it and finding your potential customers. Social media enables you to access and engage with a wider audience online and as part of your overall marketing mix can be a useful and viable route to business. There are a plethora of platforms to use - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, G+, YouTube. You do not need to use all, just be exceptional with the ones you choose to use.
"It's better to be amazing at one or two social platforms than suck on five or six" - Peg Fitzpatrick
If you were to network at a traditional networking event, you would connect with a variety of people who have chosen to be there to seek mutual and beneficial professional relationships. You chat to find common ground and where relevant seek to nurture those relationships over a period of time. With social media you are networking online regularly, very regularly and the behaviour is very different to traditional networking. You participate, you seek to find people that you are interested in, people search for you. You post interesting content, you engage regularly and where relevant start to nurture your online network. And this happens at a much faster pace. Once you have placed your foot on the social media pedal it's go go go. Imagine traditional networking as dial-up and social media as fibre optic!
Once you are active with your preferred platform[s] you have to remain committed to working with them. Social media is a fast moving beast... content that is posted is immediately accompanied with literally millions of other pieces of content. So you need to be able to keep pace. You need to plan what you are going to do, what you are going to say, how you are going to say and when you are going to say it. All of these activities must have time dedicated to them. A post a week on Facebook isn't going to make any difference at all and neither is a tweet a day.
Social media is not a quick fix and like other marketing activities it takes time to see results. What you save in money in accessing these platforms for free, you are investing a resource that is precious to every self employed person, time. When used effectively social media can help small business owners to reach untapped potential customers and business by using a different set of tools and techniques.
As a social media manager, I help a number of small businesses manage their social media activity. The biggest realisation has been that they do not have the time to research, craft and create posts, preferring to use their time more effectively doing what they set out to do – earning an income from their trade or profession. If you would like help in this way, please do get in touch.
Yours socially
Micala
"It's better to be amazing at one or two social platforms than suck on five or six" - Peg Fitzpatrick
If you were to network at a traditional networking event, you would connect with a variety of people who have chosen to be there to seek mutual and beneficial professional relationships. You chat to find common ground and where relevant seek to nurture those relationships over a period of time. With social media you are networking online regularly, very regularly and the behaviour is very different to traditional networking. You participate, you seek to find people that you are interested in, people search for you. You post interesting content, you engage regularly and where relevant start to nurture your online network. And this happens at a much faster pace. Once you have placed your foot on the social media pedal it's go go go. Imagine traditional networking as dial-up and social media as fibre optic!
Once you are active with your preferred platform[s] you have to remain committed to working with them. Social media is a fast moving beast... content that is posted is immediately accompanied with literally millions of other pieces of content. So you need to be able to keep pace. You need to plan what you are going to do, what you are going to say, how you are going to say and when you are going to say it. All of these activities must have time dedicated to them. A post a week on Facebook isn't going to make any difference at all and neither is a tweet a day.
Social media is not a quick fix and like other marketing activities it takes time to see results. What you save in money in accessing these platforms for free, you are investing a resource that is precious to every self employed person, time. When used effectively social media can help small business owners to reach untapped potential customers and business by using a different set of tools and techniques.
As a social media manager, I help a number of small businesses manage their social media activity. The biggest realisation has been that they do not have the time to research, craft and create posts, preferring to use their time more effectively doing what they set out to do – earning an income from their trade or profession. If you would like help in this way, please do get in touch.
Yours socially
Micala
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