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Basic Tips for Small Biz Social Media Marketing
How Do I Figure Out
Social Media Marketing for My Small Business?
Or What do I do
first?
by Karen A.
Teeters
When I go to networking
meetings and share with other small business owners
my specialty of creating websites and online marketing
consulting, I always get asked about the mystery of that
latest buzz word, social media marketing. They are frustrated and
say things like--I have a Facebook Account but I don't know what
to say and what is Twitter for--?
Get Results
Are you one of these confused
business owners? Many small business owners already have a
website. They may have started a blog. They might even have a
Facebook profile, a LinkedIn profile and maybe even a Twitter
account but most people are clueless when it comes to
having a social media marketing strategy that will actually get
results-people signing up for their newsletter or even people
inquiring about their services from online efforts.
Excellent Website
Presence
The simple thing that I advise is
not to worry about becoming an expert in all of these at once.
Before you as a small business start microblogging on Facebook or
Twitter or joining business groups on LinkedIn, I recommend
that you have an excellent website presence that people feel is
easy to navigate with a compelling what's in it for me statement
and purpose on each page. In other words, before you take all
that time to put together your social media profiles and
figure out how to word your Facebook and Twitter comments,
make sure the business home you are welcoming these prospects to
is professional and effective.
I guess it is obvious since I am
a a website designer and developer that I would be
aware of this essential. As an an avid and
enthusiastic participant in social networking myself, I do love
to follow other businesses. After reading intriguing comments on
Facebook or Twitter, I always link to the listed website to find
out more and I am often disappointed at what I see! Maybe you
have had this experience too.
Don't Make Me
Think!
So many small businesses may have
started their businesses five or more years ago and have not done
anything new to their websites since then! This is a huge
mistake as the online strategies and opportunities are changing
daily! Making sure your site design is up to date, clean and easy
to navigate with the latest information on your company is
just basic today. I recently read the excellent web
usability book by Steve Krug titled Don't Make Me Think
which is the perfect advice as you review each page. Make it easy
and keep it updated! There is so much more than creating your
basic pages. Starting a blog to set yourself up as an
authority in your field is one. Making sure each page has a
clear purpose and a call to action for your prospects is another.
And making sure there is an opt in box to sign up for newsletters
and to keep track of potential leads is really key and not to be
overlooked.
As I explain these details to
fellow business owners, I usually end up offering a free
evaluation of an owner's website so that I can make a few
recommendations. Once you have a site that is going to work for
you and your customers, then I offer my insights on successful
blogging tips and which social networking sites would be most
successful for particular businesses.
Your Website needs to be an Inviting
Home
So next time you get frustrated
about how to use social networking, take a look at your website
first and make sure it is an inviting home for your potential new
guests! That is your first step to figuring out Social Media
Marketing. Stay tuned to this blog for more tips.
For
more tips on social media marketing, follow this blog and visit
Karen Teeters' website at FiveStarSiteMakers.com. You may
republish this article in full. Just make sure you list this
paragraph and provide a link.
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