Managing Social Media: A Small Business Solution

So many free social media technologies are available for small businesses today, but so little time to manage them.

Does your small business have an established website, but no additional web presence driving traffic to it? If so, you’ve probably heard how social media can enhance your web presence.

What is social media? Social media consists of a laundry list of (mostly) free web technologies that, when managed correctly, can help drive more traffic to your website.

The most widely used social media technologies used by small businesses are blogs (Wordpress or Blogger) Facebook and Twitter. All three are relatively easy to get started and are free-of-charge. Free is a nice price when it comes to advertising.

But how can they help promote your small business website? Blogs, Facebook and Twitter allow you to create a profile for your business. However, each social media technology has its own set of account and privacy settings. It’s advised that you carefully read ALL instructions, guidelines and disclosers on EVERY social media technology you choose to administer. Social media sites can damage your businesses’ reputation as much as it can promote it.

Setting up and activating your accounts is the easy work. Once your accounts are established you have to create content. Meaning, you need to write regularly for each social media site managed. Content is King on the web, and your content must be relevant and engaging if you want your social media sites to enhance your businesses’ web presence.

In addition to writing, images and video content are effective advertising tools as well. Relevant images go hand-in-hand with well-written content. If your small business provides a certain type of service/product, then your user will want to see images of the service/product or perhaps a video.

Video can be easily uploaded to blogs or Facebook. A brief and bright video about you and the services/products your small business offers is personable and engaging. Potential customers get a chance to see you and your employees/work crew in action. Your customer will feel they have gotten to know you before they ever inquire about your services/products.

Consider this…

Do you have the time for writing content, finding images, making videos and running a small business? If you do, and you understand how to tie all your social media technologies in with your website so they work together to promote your business then your way ahead of your competition. If not, how can you get this work done?

Support your local economy

Find a local and talented Social Media Manager to manage your web presence. You may already have a webmaster who manages your website. Find out if the individual can implement and manage social media in addition to their webmaster responsibilities. Their minimum qualifications should be:

· Understand how to implement and manage the most widely used social media technologies

· Familiar with social media and small business marketing

· Ability to write about your small business niche

· Strong writing skills and web content development skills

· Know how to manage images for the web; ability to use digital photography technology

· Possess intermediate video making and video editing skills

If your webmaster is not qualified to manage your social media than it’s recommended you find a local and talented social media manager who possess these qualifications. The individual doesn’t have to become part of your staff. In fact, a social media manager could work for you on a contractual/hourly basis or kept on retainer.

Once established, your small business social media technologies should only take a few hours a week to manage. Additional hours of work may be required if you choose to have digital photography work or video footage. Remember, the time it takes for your social media manager to take care of your social media sites, and the content development, is extra time you have for your small business.

It’s advised you find a local social media manager. Why? A local social media manager can meet with you in person and discuss a small business social media marketing strategy. A local social media manager is available for on-site photo shoots and video shoots. They can get to know your small businesses’ niche and the market you compete in. Moreover, they will develop a personable and engaging voice that will represent your small business the best on the web.

Your small business benefits your local community and its economy. As such, use locally talented individuals to help build your businesses’ web presence organically.