Social media is an animal that many people try to tame, but frankly can never quite master. This is why positions for social media experts have been created. Many people have probably hoped for a job where they were able to be on Facebook all day, and now, due to the popularity of these sites, many people can do this and still collect a paycheck.
The other side of this coin though, is that small businesses are trying desperately to compete with larger businesses in the realm of social media although, it just isn’t possible. These large companies have trained professionals by their side that dedicate their entire work day to posting, answering questions and coming up with new strategies to promote their brand via different outlets in social media. So what should small businesses do to still keep their brand alive? Here are three tips:
1) Stop Competing with the “Big Guys” – One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to mimic what larger companies are doing. This can easily become overwhelming, because, at some point, it is going to become abundantly clear that to achieve what larger companies due via social media takes a highly-trained and well-developed team of social media experts that you meet with every day. Set the bar at a reasonable height.
2) Read… A LOT – The fact is that people are writing FREE articles and providing FREE research every day. Actions on the Internet are occurring so quickly that the social media routines that were so fruitful yesterday may not work today. As a small business owner, make it part of your morning routine to check out anything new regarding social media. Also, try to set aside one day a week where you spend a little more time educating yourself on the best ways to attack social media as a small business owner. Eventually, you will feel so comfortable with it that you will only need to keep up with the new events.
3) Gain REAL “likes” and “followers” – Using an outside service to make it seem as though you have far more followers on Twitter or likes on Facebook may be a good tactic in the beginning, but as your business grows, it is important to reach out to REAL people. In the end, although your site may look more inviting to clients/customers since you have bought “likes” and/or “followers,” you cannot go anywhere in the realm of engagement if you are only writing to ghosts.
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