Getting Started With Social Media
July 5th, 2009 by Steven Schlagel
Social media is an increasingly popular tool for businesses and entrepreneurs to gain exposure and to drive traffic to their Website. From “mom and pop shops” to major corporations, businesses of all sizes are hiring specialists to handle their online networking strategy.
Social media is here to stay. Why? Social media allows businesses and small business owners to directly interact with their current and potential customers and colleagues and to use these interactions to gain exposure and gather expert information from a variety of trusted sources.
Building stronger relationships with colleagues and business partners gives you the opportunity to add people from their network and to pick their brains for expert information or opinions on vendors. Getting to interact directly with your customers or potential clients allows you to gain a stronger understanding of their needs and how they would like to see your business or service offerings develop.
There are three places you need to be in the “virtual world”. Although there is a continual increase in the number of social networking sites available and some of them might be worth your while eventually, but in the beginning, you need to be on these sites: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. And if you are too busy to do all three, then for business, use the second two primarily. Facebook is used a great deal for casual socializing, although many businesses do have a strong presence there. For beginners, it isn’t necessary.
When selecting a screen name, use your real name or a derivative thereof. This will make it easier for others to follow you. On LinkedIn and Twitter you can add additional accounts under your business name if you want to. Add a professional photo to use for your avatar which is the small photo that goes by your screen name and with your profile. Let the site link to your email to look for or invite and additional contacts. You can always decide not to follow someone it selects.
Writing a strong biography for your site is very important. This gives people just enough information to decide if they want to connect with or follow you. When you develop a biography, let people know what you do and also add your URL to your Website or blog so people can get additional details about your business. On Twitter you can design a background. Use a free design site to do this yourself or hire a graphic designer for this small job. It makes a difference in the professionalism of your site.
Get involved. If you are on Twitter, follow appropriate people (use the search on the main page for types of business people: entrepreneurs, artists, attorneys or go to WeFollow.com to find a broader selection). But don’t just be an observer. Share information, share articles you’ve found online, ask questions, cheer people on, connect people to other people! On LinkedIn and Facebook, sign up for groups or fan pages in areas that truly interest you and participate in discussion groups. Offer your expertise.
Although the bottom line for many using social media is to increase sales, don’t push your product or your services too hard. People don’t like this. It is a real turn-off and they might not just stop following you, they might encourage others to do the same. Offer real opinions and real interactions to slowly build a following and loyalty.
Sometimes you will get the opportunity to meet some of your contacts in persons. Facebook and LinkedIn list events in your area and Twitter has what are called “tweetups” which are live gatherings of Twitter members, generally around a topic or interest. Interacting in person builds a stronger connection than just online.
From Fortune 500 companies to freelance entrepreneurs, social networking offers a way to interact and contact people we didn’t conceive of five years ago and allows for a broader reach to your target audience. Test the waters and go connect!
