Getting Started with Social Media Marketing
So you have heard that social media marketing can increase sales for your small business, and you are thinking about trying it for yourself. So how do you get started? How much time will you need to set aside for a successful campaign?
Are You in it for the Long Haul?
If you want to see serious results from your social media campaign, you need to put in a significant amount of time. This doesn’t mean work hard at the beginning and then you are finished. If you want to use social media to help grow your small business you will need to post, message, tweet, and blog consistently. If you don’t have the extra time to invest in your social media campaign, consider hiring an internet marketer to do the work for you.
Lurk a Little, Learn a Little
Lurking may sound creepy to you but you will need to in order to get used to your social media surroundings. The term lurking in social media means that you dont post anything, you only read other member’s posts. Do this for awhile until you are comforatable with making posts on your own. Be sure you read through your social media’s sites rules and guidelines to avoid penalties or offending other members.
Start off with the “Big 3”
You may not know it but there are hundreds of social media sites. Most people are only aware of the popular ones:Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We like to call these the “Big Three” of social media. Normally we encourage people to go beyond these 3 social media sites and to participate in as may as 50 sites. However when you are just getting started with social media you should ease into things. Sign up for Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. After you do your lurking, start posting for awhile. Once you are comfortable with posting then you can move on to more social media sites.
Begin Blogging
Before you start your blog, be sure to determine the type of blog you will have. Will it be a place for customers to get support, a place to get news about your company or both? Then find a blogging platform that you are comfortable with such as WordPress. Begin looking around on technorati.com and other blogs to become familiar with what people are writing about and to get inspired by other blog topics.
Are You Ready for social media marketing ?
Russ Cuthrell is a Michigan SEO Expert and Internet Marketer with over 24 years of experience in the Information Technology space. He is the owner of Spyder Byte Media, Inc., a Michigan Website Design company located in Shelby Township, Michigan. He has helped hundreds small business owners in Michigan use make it to the top of the search engines and stay there.
