Okay, so you’ve decided to create a website for your business. What now? Where to start? How do you get your company’s name out into the world and generate some excitement about your new website?
Social media is an excellent way to engage with existing customers, grow your customer base, and help build customer loyalty. In 2015 alone, social media commerce revenue topped $30 billion dollars in the United States. But, as a business owner, it can be difficult to make the time to manage all of your social media channels. Unless you’re a large business who can hire an extra person specifically for social media, it’s important to choose two or three social media channels and focus your efforts on them.
But where to start? Here are some tips to help you choose the right social media channels for your business:
Start with Facebook
More than one billion people worldwide use Facebook daily. That’s right–nearly one in every seven people on this planet have a Facebook profile that they actively use every day. The easiest part about setting up a Facebook page is that you access your business’s page through your own profile, and the Facebook page works the same way your personal profile works.
Facebook pages allow your business the ability to interact with your customers. Unlike TripAdvisor or Yelp, where a customer’s review or experience is always the initiated form of communication, Facebook is an equally engaging platform for both parties. You post content to your company’s news feed, your customers respond, like your customers can like a post, and you customers can initiate communication by posting to the company’s wall, reviewing the company, commenting on a post, or personal messaging.
Facebook is also the perfect first social media choice because you can allow other people to access your Facebook page. Three people managing is always better than one.
Want to unlock the power to market effectively on Facebook? Register a spot for my seminar on Facebook profitability.
What is Your Company’s Product?
Is your business a brick-and-mortar store, selling hard goods? Or do you have your consulting firm? Ask yourself, “which social media channel would represent my product, and my business, the best?”
Do you sell hard goods? Your business would best benefit from a visual social media channel, like Instagram. Clothing stores, for example, create outfit ensembles and posts the picture to Instagram with a breakdown of the available clothes with prices. An excellent example of a successful Instagram store is @bowsandarrows.
Does your business sell a service? Your company might benefit the most from a more professional social media channel, like LinkedIn. Once you create a business profile through LinkedIn, you can publish articles on behalf of your company–all of the benefits of a blog, without the issue of design.
What Do You Want to Accomplish?
Are you looking to extend your ecommerce website and sell your products? Or, are you building a community to establish a loyal customer base? Are you hoping to gain higher rankings for your website on Google? All of these goals serve a specific purpose, depending on your business plan.
For those hoping to extend their ecommerce reach, we recommend setting up an Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Reddit account. These immersive platforms work well for e-commerce because the target audience saves and shares what they find interesting.
If your plan is to use social media for SEO, LinkedIn is the best option to gain higher rankings for your website. LinkedIn is one of the only platforms that functions both as a networking site and as an article publishing platform. If you aren’t ready to commit to maintaining a company blog, LinkedIn is the perfect social media platform that blends blogging and networking together.
For those companies looking to build a customer base and cultivate loyal customers, a more engaging platform like Twitter, SnapChat, and Instagram are all excellent options. Each of these platforms encourages customer participation, which is essential when building a community for your brand.
Businesses and Social Media
Social Media is a power tool to help businesses gain an online presence. With the help of one or two social media platforms, social media can help to boost SEO, grow a loyal fanbase, or extend your ecommerce rate. While some businesses are able to hire a full-time social media manager, others must choose between certain social media channels and maintain what they have to the best of their abilities.
We believe that every company needs a Facebook Page, because one out of every seven people in the entire world uses Facebook daily. The next social media channel that you choose should be aligned with your company, your brand, and your business plan. Each social media channel has its setbacks and benefits, but it’s up to you to decide which social media channel fits your company best.
Want to unlock the power to market effectively on Facebook? Register a spot for my seminar on Facebook profitability.