If You're Not Thriving Through Social Media You Are Missing Out On Incredible Profit Potential

Social media for businesses is really a simple concept. The main idea is using the Internet or to share content with existing customers (sealing loyalty) and to reach potentially new customers. For businesses, the main benefit of social media is direct access to people and the unique ability to define who you are and what you provide (branding). The outcome? Building customer loyalty and attracting new business.

Below you will find some incredible resources to get you started using Social Media. If you are already using Social Media, the resources below can help you get to the next level. The information we've compiled below is good for the beginner as well as the advanced social media expert. We hope you will enjoy!

The best Social Media resources for learning how to use Social Media for business

The Social Media Examiner

HooteSuite

Buffer Social

Social Sprout

Socialoomph

SocialFlow

Businesses Grow

Jon Loomer - For Advanced Facebook Marketers

Convince and Convert

Razor Social

Socially Sorted

Jenn's Trends - Instagram Specialist

The Basics of Social Media for Small Business Owners

An article we found online we thought you would enjoy.

Defining Social Media Marketing Strategies for Your Small Business

Original post found on PromotionWorld.com by Mary Ann Keeling - December 14, 2015 

Not so long ago many small business owners were uneasy on investing in social media (SM) for driving their business forward, but today everybody is trying to find the most efficient way of using SM since it turned out to be crucial in making a big difference while being a relatively low-cost investment.

Unlike large companies that get an enormous amount of content created by marketing agencies, small businesses should set their focus on establishing strong identity and loyal audience, boosting website traffic and growing brand awareness. If you are new to social media for business or have not committed yourself fully, here is a quick guide to help you kick off a great campaign - defining your strategies.

Define your business goals

The first thing you should do is to ask yourself what do you want to achieve, and how can social media help you with it. This guide will help you to see your strategy - a launch to the payoff. When defining goals, the most important thing is to remain realistic and stick to the point. Since social media can be overwhelming, choosing an organized approach such as SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time) might help you to stay on track and keep you from wandering aimlessly.

Research your audience and the platforms

Your social media presence doesn’t mean creating a profile on every platform. Depending on how unique your business is, it’s better to set up a customized social media plan and start with the most important social media platforms (like Facebook and Twitter). To get to know on which platforms your target audience regularly spends time on, first you have to build a clear and precise picture of your target audience by recognizing aspects such as:

• Age
• Education
• Location
• Interests
• Income
• Career

The more of these factors you consider, the more specific you can be, and this is the key to knowing where, what and when to share to reach the right individuals.

Besides knowing your audience, you need to know the best SM platforms, and how they will potentially help you to reach your audience and grow your business. Apart from reaching your targeted audience, social media networks also make it easy to keep an eye on competitors.

There are three social platforms that are considered "a must for every business."

Facebook - with its 1550 million Facebook users, Facebook is something you should not ignore. Facebook allows you to establish a solid reputation and build brand loyalty.

The options for sharing interesting content through Facebook will enable your business to reach your core audience, as well as the niches. Depending on how creative you are, you can a great impact with just one single post. Facebook’s casual environment also gives small businesses chance to improve customer service since it encourages dialogues with customers and builds relationships through engagement - customer service and support.

LinkedIn - The LinkedIn environment is intended to be more professional. Although its number of users is much smaller than Facebook’s, LinkedIn is the number one choice for B2B businesses. Also, it’s not so much about your business being on this platform as much as it’s about you as the representation of your business. LinkedIn gives business owners the opportunity to build strong online authority, with credibility and trust.

Linkedin groups are ideal for sharing content and making professional dialogues with like-minded people and potential partners. Obtaining recommendations from other businesses potentially strengthens your credibility and helps you earn more trust from future customers.

Google My Business - the first online place to look for a product or a service for the vast majority of consumers is definitely Google. Using "Google My Business" helps amplify your online presence through:

• Map location
• Reviews
• Photos
• Contact information
• These were “the must” ones, which else to consider?

In case your audience frequently visits the following platforms you may want to expand your social media strategy include the following platforms.

Twitter - it’s a dynamic platform, best suitable for posting updates, and monitoring mentions on your brand and interact with users that are showing interest or having something nice to say about your business. You can also use it to answer people’s questions, and follow tweeters in your or related industry fields. Twitter is great for promoting "specials", "sales", "discounts" and "coupons."

YouTube - with 300 hours of video being uploaded every minute, Youtube is the best place for sharing video content. People love video, and there is a real possibility that your potential customers are watching your competitors videos. You may also want to consider Vimeo.

Pinterest or Instagram - Pinterest and Instagram are easy, fun, and very popular - especially with the millennials. Both are image-centered platforms, ideal for showcasing product offerings and at the same time developing brand personality.

Yext.com - Local Listings platforms are essential for any business providing products and services to a local client-base. You can create individual listings on FourSquare, Yelp or Level up, but the best way to get into all the best local business directories is to sign up through Yext.com. One form, one payment, and you are automatically listed in dozens of the best local business directories.

Master social media marketing with the right tools

Seems like a full-time job (and it actually is), but there are many solutions to help you manage it and measure the impact of your social media campaigns. Many of the repetitive tasks can be automated with these tools, and you will be able to:

• Remain consistent - this is the key to establishing long-lasting traffic for your business.
• Reduce your time working on social media - adding discipline can save you from wasting precious time constantly checking your accounts for updates.
• Schedule posts - instead of updating each network one at a time. Social media management tools are a massive time saver - you schedule updates at the start of the month or week, and if needed, easily make adjustments when something comes up.
• One of the reasons why automation is worthwhile is that it leaves you more space for creating engaging and valuable content and managing other segments of your business. But keep in mind that it doesn’t cover being human and keeping things personal in real-time engagement with people.

Key Coaching Notes: When conducting social media outreach, take one step at a time, experiment, and keeping learning from the experts. Over time, youf igure out what’s working for you, and how to keep fresh - social media strategies are always changing so keep on top of things to grow your profit margin. And always remember - content is king.

The New Entrepreneur: Using Social Media to Build Your Business