subject: Are You Falling Behind Because Your Are Afraid To Use Facebook? [print this page] Social media portals such as Facebook and Twitter are an area where businesses can continue to build relationships with existing clients and attract new interest. On Facebook there is an advertising platform, not unlike Google's Adwords Pay-Per-Click. Twitter is just starting to offer paid advertising. Business owners don't have to opt for the paid advertising as there is plenty of action with the free format offered by both media.
In the early days of social media, middle aged and older business owners tended to balk at using Facebook or Twitter. It's not an unusual reaction. Many are parents with children who are so engaged with either of these platforms they don't know any other way to socialize. Also, kids were running into problems sharing too much information or photos. Unlike the older generation, they had no issues over-sharing. The rest of us are quite happy to keep some things private. That said, there are solid business reasons to get onboard with social media marketing.
Using social media marketing for your business isn't all about you. In fact, it's about your customers more so than your business. Facebook provides a medium where people are interested in what you offer. As of this writing, Facebook had over 500 million followers while Twitter had 160 million. Some of these accounts overlap belonging to the same person. These two services offer an audience of over half a million people and you have free access to them. You may be able to reach millions of people using television advertising, but even companies who can afford TV commercials are turning on to social media.
You may be wondering how people find out what you offer and if they want to engage with your Facebook or Twitter account. The first thing to do is to start with a really great profile. You don't have a lot of space to use, so be sure to use phrases and words relevant to your offerings. People will be drawn to a profile that contains lots of good information and is interesting to read. Both Twitter and Facebook make recommendations of potential friends based upon the contents of your profile.
For example, let's say you have a dog grooming business. People who have a dog or cat would be interested in grooming and pet care tips. Facebook recommends you to people who indicate in their profile that they like animals or have a pet. Now you have a way to talk about tips and they have a way to ask you questions. Questions can lead to new services.
Invite people to events on Facebook whether they are virtual events or are going to take place in an actual set location. For example, let's say you have a dog grooming business. People who have a dog or cat would be interested in grooming and pet care tips. Facebook will make recommendations to people who indicate in their profile that they like animals or have a pet.
Make a video recording showing people how to do basic grooming tasks. You refer to the method you use as a special technique you've developed over the years. Publish that video to your website or to YouTube. You can even insert that video directly into Facebook.
Now you have a way to talk about pet grooming tips and they have a way to ask you questions. Questions can lead to new services. This can add an extra push when it comes to promoting a special product or something new.
Using social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter as a marketing tool is great because people forget they are part of your marketing plan. This gives you the ability to interact with them which helps you improve your offers to give your customers exactly what they want.
