By now most small businesses are familiar with the buzz surrounding social media. They know they need social media, but most do not understand why they need it or how it works. Even those that feel they know what it is do not really understand how to make it work for them. Let’s not skip the basics, social media is media (a communication outlet used to distribute information)… that is social (pertaining to cultural or community interaction). When we go back to the basics, therein lies the answer to how to use social media: give information pertaining to your community.
Most small businesses are priced out of traditional media and cannot afford television and radio advertisements to get the word out about their business. That is why social media is so important to that subsect of entrepreneurs. You can sell to your audience directly without the help of expensive, traditional media. BUT you cannot just sell all the time; you have to get social. That is the tricky part. Here are three tips to help you in your quest to be more social:
- Show behind the scenes footage. Allow your community of potential customers to see how your product was chosen for them, how it is made, how it is packaged, or how it is shipped. If it is a service, show them how you deliver it, how they can use it, or examples of results.
- Show what you care about. Share with your community of potential customers the charities that you support, how you support them and why. They want to know you are philanthropic and if they happen to have a heart for the same causes, that’s even better.
- Show how you celebrate holidays. Invite your community of potential customers to see how you celebrate some of their favorite holidays. Do you decorate? Show them. Do you get together for an event? Show them. Do you give gifts? Show them. Do you dress up? Show them.
I’ve explained the “like, know, and trust” factor before. What better way to help those you want to buy from you to feel they like, know and trust you than to include them and invite them into your business family. If you need help with making social media work for your business, let’s talk about it. Go HERE.
