The past few years have seen the explosion of social media not only in terms of growth and participation, but also in terms of business opportunities for any and all entrepreneurs. While this has been said many times over by so-called experts in the field, not many understand how social media platforms can best serve their business interests.
Nowadays, social media presence is as important as one’s telephone number. Having the basic Facebook page and Twitter account is not enough, though several savvy business people have taken advantage of this medium as a means to expand their business interest. With social media increasing in importance each day, the following are ways to maximize a social media presence in order to obtain results for exposure in both immediate and long terms
Stay on top of Facebook
Since the opening of Facebook ads, there has been a deluge of users, each with their own businesses to promote on the biggest social media platform. Not many understand, though, how best to maximize one’s page amongst the millions of pages online. This is done through the use of Facebook promotion and campaign strategies, which allows you to manage a promotions, advertisements, pages, groups, etc. through a centralized, monetized system. Learning this system and using it to your advantage is the best way to grow your business using Facebook.
Blogging and Websites
Many business owners think that they need to operate their own website or blog for their business. This maxim still holds true but the best visibility comes when the site ranks high on search engines such as Google and Bing. This is done through increasing networks with other websites through link exchanges, mentions and reviews on their site. Through the increase of visibility on other websites, one’s own website through redirects and links will rank high in search engine results.
Be in Control of Communication
Another way to utilize social media for one’s advantage is through direct communication with customers on social platforms themselves. In this way, one reaches out not only to current consumers but also other potential consumers on the site. Because of the openness of these venues not only for advertising but also for customer relations, many businesses can expand their clientele in a short period of time.
Multiple Platforms
The social media universe is ever expanding. Aside from Facebook, there is Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat and many others platforms. While one can open accounts in every single one, finding the right one to search and reach out to your target demographic is the most efficient manner in maximizing this activity. Thus, learning about the users of specific social media platforms would help in focusing one’s advertising activities in this area of the universe.
Stay Updated
The social media universe is very dynamic and constantly changing. Each day, a new app or even a new platform is unveiled into the market. Thus, it is important, to stay updated and be kept abreast on the developments in technology as well as social media processes. This is done through reading the news as well as putting one’s ear to the ground as to discover the next burgeoning trend in social media.
This much is clear: everyone now has a social media account, especially entrepreneurs and business people. Just having one, though, is not enough to maximize its value as well as become a competitive advantage for one’s business. Following the tips above can surely provide one’s business a leg up in 2014.
Camille McClane is a freelance blogger and infographics designer located in Southern California. She loves writing on all-things tech and social media, and loves interacting with like-minded writers. She frequently contributes to the blog of HostPapa, a hub for media content info and more. She hopes you enjoy this article!
photo credit: daniel_iversen | cc
