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Social Media For Your Business

Social networks were once considered a novelty by the business world. From Facebook to Twitter and from LinkedIn to Google Plus, the belief was that nothing could trump the standard advertising medium of print, radio and TV. However, when small businesses took a chance on social media - due to lack of marketing funds or just to try something new - the feedback they got was positive which led to other businesses incorporating social media into their marketing campaigns.

Social media can be a great tool for developing business relationships. Giving companies the ability to respond quickly and interact directly with their customers, businesses can go directly to the source to get the response they need. If you're looking to try social media, here are some tips you should consider to get the most out of them:

Explore your Options

The first thing you have to understand is that you don't have to be on every single social media platform to make an impact. Think about your company's goals and choose the right one for your needs.

There's a broad array of social media websites out there and they all operate a little differently. Based on your company's objectives, you'll be able to figure out which avenues will be most effective for you.

Facebook

Facebook currently holds the distinction of being the top social network to date. With over 1.5 billion subscribers alone, using Facebook to establish a connection with potential customers makes the most sense due to its reach and popularity. Chances are, no matter the industry and who your target market is, they're on Facebook.

There are different ways to utilize Facebook. One is to create your own Facebook page. A Facebook page serves as a portal which you can use to build relationships with customers. It lets you display information about your company, from your address to your contact numbers. It also lets you post entries where you can promote your latest offerings, promotions and company events. A Facebook page lets you post news and updates - with the option to include images or videos - about your services and products.

Aside from a creating a page, Facebook also lets you post ads through their Facebook Ads feature. While it comes with a fee, it offers an alternative method to marketing your products and services. Depending on the plan you avail off, you'll have the option to have Facebook prioritize your ads and have them displayed prominently on Facebook pages. .

Twitter

Twitter works well for businesses looking to provide their customers with quick updates. Since Twitter users check their accounts quite often throughout the day, you'll be able to reach your target demographic right away.

A tweet is limited to just 280 characters so anything you post on Twitter must be short and sweet. The best way to maximize this medium is by putting a short description about the update - using as much of the 280 character limit as possible - followed by a link to a page or website that shows the full details of the tweet you posted.

Aside from links, Twitter lets you upload images from JPGs to animated GIFs. In terms of marketing, this gives you the opportunity to display images of your latest promotions and make them accessible to your customers.

Social Media Manager

Setting up your social media campaigns take time and resources. You can cut your cost by using a social media manager tool which lets you manage your networks with just one dashboard. HootSuite is just one of the social media managers that can help you set up tasks, like scheduling updates to go out throughout the day, saving you time and energy.

If you can afford to assign a particular employee to handle your company's social media networking, do so. Choose someone with a good communications background and knowledge in handling customer concerns so that your business is put in the best light.

Establishing a strong follower base takes time, but the rewards once you're able to pull it off are worth the effort.

Keep Your Networks Active

One thing you don't want to do is leave your social network accounts idle. Many people take the time to set up accounts on a number of social networks and then once they're done, they're gone. Most think that once they have a Facebook page or a Twitter account set up, people will miraculously come knocking at their door. Nothing can be further from the truth. When people don't see new content on these social media sites, they leave right away. So make sure that there is a lot of activity going on in your social media accounts.

Even if you don't have any new promos, products or events to report, you should keep in touch with your customers. Comment on their Facebook updates or "retweet" industry stories on Twitter. Any of these activities will keep your social media accounts relevant. Remember, it doesn't always have to be about you. You need to stay active and visible, or the following you have worked so hard to build may look elsewhere for content. Be sure to stay in the loop at all times.