I write articles when someone asks me a question about a certain topic, because that way I can share the information with more people who might need the answer.
Social media is quite the thing today and I am often asked :
- What
- Why
- When
- How
SMB's in particlar are very eager to use the social media platforms, but often have no idea why, what for, when or how and those are important questions, but I think we should go backwards first, before we go forwards, in order to answer those questions.
Firstly remember time is money and when you are operating a small business, in particular your time is money and your budget is important. My first tip is to look at the stage your business ia at before you jump into anything new, whether it is social media online or new networking opportunities in the traditional sense, i.e. face to face networking.
Obviously everyone needs to take advantage of the social media and traditional networking out there but not before you are ready to do it properly, otherwise you could waste time and time is money, you get the idea I think.
If your business is establised and by that I don't mean you have lots of clients or are making lots of money, I mean ensuring you have the basics that will ensure you have a strong foundation base to move forward with your business:
- You have a business name, your own domain name, website, marketing materials, testimonials, to name a few of the essential ingredients that go into building strong foundations. People make first impressions, it is human nature, if you do not appear professional or ready to move forward your potential clients, sponsors, connections will notice this and be less inclined to take you seriously. Credibilty is even more important now that the online resources are open to everyone, and when someone decides you may be the business they want to work with they will certainly check you out every way then can. It's not like finding a plumber in the Yellow Pages anymore and knowing just the business name, telephone number and seeing a few testimonials.
- Having a strong, established online presence is very important and this can be done in many simple ways and quickly. Ensure your website has fresh content on it, Gogle loves that. Write blogs for other websites that lead back to your website. There are so many simple ways to build an online presence that is excellent and not mediocre and it will take dedication and work in the first couple of months, but the pay off is incredible.
- Start networking the traditional way by attending organized networking events, seminars, conferences etc, and build relationships with other attendees. Ensure your follow up is done in a timely manner. By doing this when you are ready to embark on your adventure and join LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook to name my three favourites, you will already have some contacts you can connect with and they will know who you are and you can continue to build your relationship with them online. Plus you will be introduced to their connections and this leads to many opportunities.
The tips above are simple and easy which makes your life easier and they are tried and tested because they are what led to my success and helped me move forward in a consistent and effective way.
Build strong foundations for your business, do it your way, but do it. You will definitely see a pay off and realise how it benefits you gain, once you do it properly.
When you are ready to use LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, my advice would not be to jump in to all three in one go. Depending what business you have definitely determines which one you would use first. Once you feel established and comfortable then you move on to the next one. Don't overwhelm yourself by trying to do all three at once because you will then lose interest and blame the online platforms and lose out.
I am happy to offer some tips and advice one I know the nature of your business as to which social media platform you might want to start off with, so feel free to contact me and we can set up a phone chat or coffee meeting, linda@sbcncanada.org.
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