Social media is like the Wild West; it’s lawlessness! Only, instead of cowboys and cactuses, it’s full of advertisements, naïve judgments about presidential candidates and awkward family photos. In this cyberspace free-for-all, how does anyone reach his or her customers with the information that truly matters?
Through conversations with my clients, I have realized that some small business owners want to learn more about the basics of social media. How can it be helpful for your business?
Let’s cover a few of the basics of social media:
Who: Possibly the most important question to ask yourself is who are your core consumers. Are they male or female? How old are they? Where do they live? The more you know, the better you can cater to their needs, and the more they will appreciate your business in return. You can learn more about this in my blog posting all about defining your target market.
What: What product or service do you provide? What do you do well? What do you do… not so well? Maybe your product makes for great photos, or maybe your service provides the foundation for a great story. Use what works well for you! Consider drawing up a “SWOT Analysis” to give yourself a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Using such an analysis of your business will help you strategize and prioritize.
Where: Where you communicate with your audience is conditional on WHO your audience is. Every demographic is different as far as their social media preferences. For example, if you’re looking to reach an older audience, Facebook is most appropriate. A younger, female audience – consider Pinterest. Every question you ask when deciding whom your customer base consists of, should be considered when deciding where to reach them. There are reasons to use each social media platform, and I love helping my clients to discover the platform that makes sense for their business.
When: Yes, it’s possible to determine a most appropriate time to reach your customer. Again, this is dependent on your customer and their tendencies. Though deciding when to take to social media is not by any means an exact science, there are resources that provide insight as to when is most appropriate for you. Learn more about frequency of posting, and don’t hesitate to contact me for guidance with your social media.
Why: Why social media? Well, considering the alternatives, why not is a better question. Affordability, simplicity, and the potential reach are all reasons to market your business through social media. Especially for smaller startups with very little capital, social media is perfect outlet to reach an enormous audience at next to no cost!
It is possible to thrive in social media marketing and advertising with the right guidance, and I would love to provide that guidance for your business!
