Small Businesses: 10 Things You Need to Know about Social Media Today

Are you sick and tired of using social media without seeing results?

Millions of small business owners like you flock to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. and wonder if they should spend thousands of dollars on social media campaigns.

But unless you understand social media today, you’re never going to reach your target market. You won’t generate leads and sales.

What if I told you there were 10 things you need to know about social media today that could not only boost your online presence, but boost your leads and sales too?

What if I revealed these simple ways to help you attract your ideal clients or customers and potential clients and customers?

Read on to find out what you need to know about social media today for your small business. Start attracting your audience and convert them into new and repeat clients and customers.

10 Things You Need to Know about Social Media Today for Your Small Business

1. Say “Thank You” gets a favorable response.

Do you thank you clients and customers when they comment on a post on your social networks? If you’re not saying “Thank You,” you’re missing out on the opportunity to build relationships. Your audience wants to know that you appreciate them and a “Thank You” can go a long way. Let’s face it; if your audience can take the time to “Like” or “Follow” your social networks, you can take the time to say “Thank You!”

2. Respond to community members engages them.

How often do you interact with your community members? Social media today requires you to be active on your social networks. Staying silent is a killer! Your community wants to engage with you. After all, you’re the expert in your industry, right? Responding to comments and questions shows your audience that you’re paying attention to them. So… Engage with your community. Be vocal!

3. Schedule posts to avoid a gap in posting.

If you’re pressed for time, take advantage of scheduling posts. Why? Because it will ensure that you won’t miss an opportunity to connect with your community. For example, if you’re in the health care industry, you’ll want to pay attention to “National Days and Months” that are observed. This way you can notify your community about upcoming days and months such as, diabetes, heart healthy, nutrition and more. Not only is scheduling posts a time saver, but it gives you the opportunity to piggyback on news stories and observances.

4. Social media and SEO are like “two peas in a pod.”

SEO (search engine optimization) isn’t going away; therefore, you’ll want to use your keywords in posts. For example, if you’re the travel industry and specialize in travel to the U.K., one of your keywords may be “London travel.” A potential post could be, “London travel has never been this cheap! Check out our deals at (include your URL).” Always think about your keywords when you post on your social networks. You want to make sure you rank for them.

5. Content writing matters on your social media networks.

Do you know the ideal number of characters for a Twitter post? The answer: 100-120 characters. While you have more room on Facebook, you may want to keep the number of characters to about 80. But most importantly, you want to write content that grabs your audiences’ attention. Remember, social media networks are crammed with information. Users are bombarded with status updates and post all day long. Make sure you share content worthy information.

6. Post more videos than images.

Images are still relevant on social media. However, videos, preferably ones that are less than 5 minutes are popular. Why? Because they’re a great way to get your message across in a short amount of time. Remember, most people are hard pressed for time. They don’t want to waste time on something that will take a long time or may not be worthwhile. You can use videos to tell the story about your organization. You can use a video to show a snippet of an event. If you haven’t done so, add videos to your social media strategy.

7. Social media campaigns are the norm.

Have you noticed that your Facebook content is getting lost within the News Feed? If so, you’re not alone. Paying for social media campaigns has become the norm, so you’ll want to budget for online campaigns. However, you’ll also want to strive for organic reach (not paid) as much as possible. Let’s face it; the more people who share your content the better. Why? Because you want people to know that you’re the “Go To” expert in your industry. They’ll want to Follow and Like your pages and visit your website to ensure they have the latest information.

8. Choose social networks wisely.

If your target market is not on Twitter, why would you want to spend time, money and effort building your presence? You want to be where your target market is. If they’re on Facebook, create a page. If they’re on Pinterest, create a page. If they’re on Instagram, create a page. When it comes to social media, you want to spend your time and money wisely. Otherwise, you may regret it.

9. Hire a social media coordinator, manager or specialist.

Because you’re a small business owner, you may have a limited amount of employees. Heck, you may have a limited amount of time. However, someone has to handle your social media. However, it doesn’t have to be you. You can hire a social media coordinator, manager or specialist to handle your social media networks. Make sure the person you hire uses social media on a regular basis. Ask to see a portfolio.

10. Use various tools to measure your social media success.

From URL shortners such as Bit.ly to Google Analytics, you can measure your social media success today. Even social media networks like Facebook provide you with Insights, so you can see how many people your posts reached, engagement and other information. If you run campaigns, you can see how much you’ve spent each day. While measuring social media ROI (return on investment) may seem daunting, it’s manageable. All you have to do is look at your online sales. Of course, if you have a brick and mortar small business, you’ll want to measure how social media has increased your foot traffic. You can always ask clients/customers how they heard of you, i.e., saw your Facebook ad.

Are You Struggling with Social Media Today in Your Small Business?

I won’t lie to you; developing a social media presence takes time.

You may be able to manage your social networks in 15 minutes per day. However, you need to understand the basics of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other networks. If you don’t, your pages will get lost in the shuffle.

Read that again. Your Facebook and Twitter pages will get lost in the shuffle.

If you’re struggling with social media today, hire a full or part-time social media person.

Not only should the person understand how to write for the web (includes headlines), but they should understand how to create compelling images and videos.

If you don’t want to hire someone, read my social media case study.

I provide information that shows you how one non-profit increased their online/social presence in a specific period of time.

Note: The non-profit’s presence keeps growing and attracts people from around the U.S.

Remember, you may not be an overnight sensation on social media. That’s okay. Slow and steady wins the race!

Over to you. How has social media impacted your small business today? Let me know in the comments.

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