“How can a small business like me compete with that?”
Well you can – and here’s how!
It’s really easy. Just learn your way around Social Media.
Take the plunge and jump into the virtual fish pond and you’ll soon be swimming with the big fish!
It’s really that easy?
Yes it is! As a small business, Social Media is a phenomenal resource. You should be inviting it round for dinner and keeping its slippers warm next to the fire!
Even if you’ve dabbled with Facebook and plucked up the courage to tweet, many small businesses still aren’t using Social Media, or they’re using it as and when, without a plan or strategy.
You need to embrace Social Media as an integral part of your business plan – you can bet your competitors are!
Whether your business is B2B or B2C, Social Media is an incredible marketing force which is now an established way for businesses to engage with their audiences, boost web site traffic and increase lead generation.
Here’s why you should LOVE Social Media
Branding
People want to deal with a real person, not a corporate robot!
Social Media allows you to develop your company’s personality which in turn allows you to control what people think of you and your business. It allows you to respond quickly, nip things in the bud and get involved with the latest news.
It also gets your brand out there, gives you visibility, gives you a voice and lets you join in with the conversation. No one needs to know that you’re working from your spare bedroom!
Lead Generation
The majority of companies have some kind of Social Media presence. These days you don’t need to spend hours trawling the internet for email addresses – just drop them a tweet or search and see who is talking about things that are relevant to your business – and join in!
With a Social Media plan you can be smart about how you connect with potential customers, clients and partners. Small Businesses are finding new opportunities through Social Media all the time.
Competitor and Market Analysis
Want to know what your competitors are up to? Social Media allows you to look at your market place, and see what your competitors are doing. A bit of research will help you to understand how your competitors are engaging online and how they are interacting with your potential customers. It will also help you to get a better understanding of your customers and what they really want!
Boosting your Online Presence with Search Engines
If you create profiles on all the major Social Media sites and add links back to your website, it creates a social hub for your business. This will make your web site more visible and relevant, so that when someone uses a search engine such as Google or Bing, they can actually find you!
Allows you to stay connected
Building relationships with customers, suppliers, the media etc. is so important for small businesses. When things get hectic it’s easy to forget to keep in touch.
Using Social Media allows you to keep in regular contact with minimal effort and cost. And even if you need to get your head down – in cyber space, using Social Media makes sure that you keep getting noticed, which in turn ensures that your brand and business stay on top.
