Fortunately, a strong social media presence can help with all three and, better yet, it’s easy to set up and maintain and costs very little. We’ll look at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+, explain how to set up an account and then share tips on good social media strategy.
Facebook - Log into your own profile and then click on the top right hand arrow, then "Create Page". Follow the guided steps and your page will be online within minutes.
Twitter - Set up an account from the homepage by clicking "Sign up for Twitter", in the same way you would as a private individual. Use your company name as the name and your account will be up and running.
Instagram - Firstly download the (free) Instagram app to a mobile device, then click register and create the account with your business details.
Google+ - Go to the Google+ Business homepage, then click "Get My Page" and follow the steps. It's free to set up an account.
Social Media Hints and Tips
Ensure your new accounts are monitored. You may receive comments or questions from people, and it’s essential you reply as quickly as possible so your customers feel valued and engaged.
Competitions are a great way to attract interest, and potential customers. Many companies incentivise these competitions by, for example, offering an extra entry in a prize draw for sharing the competition, or for liking and commenting on a post.
Gear your posts to each platform. For example, Instagram users love interesting, artistic imagery.
Link to your social media platforms from your homepage, so your customers know about your presence and can visit in one click.
Invite satisfied customers to leave a review or post about your business on their own social media accounts. This is a great way to spread word of mouth reputation for your company and could lead to future sales.
Distribute your blog posts. If you have a blog on your website, social media posts alerting your followers (with a link) are a great way to make sure it is seen by plenty of people.
Avoid posting too frequently, as this can annoy people. While your followers may enjoy your content, many of them will feel overwhelmed by masses of posts. A good guide is 1-2 posts per day on each platform.
We hope the above has given you a good introduction into the art of social media for business. As a next step, why not make a start and set up accounts for your business right away? You’ll be amazed how simple and quick it is, and, if you follow our hints and tips, hopefully you’ll have plenty of followers in no time!
