There is no doubt that social media is an integral part of online marketing for small businesses. Unfortunately the social media landscape is very fragmented and it is difficult to know what conversations to join and more importantly how to explore these opportunities in the best way. There are many opportunities for small businesses to really get the best out of their social media campaigns simply by looking how the big brands use social media.

Find The Most Suitable Social Media Platforms

It can be quite easy to set up social media profiles on many different platforms. The problem is that each account needs a lot of time and effort to be really successful. Large corporations have plenty of resources and time to invest in channelling their efforts across multiple platforms.

For smaller businesses, it is much wiser to focus on social media communities that are relevant to your business and where your current and potential customers will be hanging out. A good practice would be to focus on one platform possibly two and channel all your efforts into maximising your engagement and reach.

There are many great examples of how different social media platforms can be relevant for individual business sectors. A business specialising in interior design may want to build its presence on Pinterest as strong and visual imagery will normally be inviting to customers.

Pinterest is a picture based social media platform and is particular useful for arts, food, fashion and design businesses. LinkedIn on the other hand may be more suitable for business services and consultants operating in industries such as marketing and business.

Small business owners should really be concerned with identifying audiences and starting conversations that are relevant to them. Content marketing continues to be the driving force so by ensuring that you are providing relevant content, there is a far greater chance that your target audience will engage.

If people are benefiting from the advice and information that you are providing, there is a far greater chance that your audience will interact within your community. Some of the biggest brands and organisations use social media to build brand advocates. These advocates actively promote their brand and help grow the brands online presence by extending their consumer reach through liking, sharing and commenting on the content that they provide.

Social media is an interactive platform and the viral nature allows content to be shared with many online communities. Providing great content can be strengthened through encouraging your audience to share, like and comment on your content. Call to actions can be a great way to drive engagement but also to get important feedback and innovative ideas.

The most successful social media pages will be centred on consumer engagement. Conversations can see 1000’s of shares, likes and comments. There are many great examples of health care social media pages where posts on health will receive 1000’s of shares, likes and comments.

Normally there will be a call to action like “tell us what you think” which will see the conversation start. People are much more likely to engage once they know that their opinion matters. Small businesses should adopt a response process ensuring that comments are given feedback.

Social media platforms are much more sophisticated and now allow businesses to run polls and surveys and competitions. These all encourage engagement and participation but also help to get important feedback. As well as creating brand awareness, social media platforms will drive conversations that can be both positive and negative. As communication is transparent, it is important for small businesses to ensure they maintain professionalism at all times whether the comments are positive or negative.

Social media can offer lots of opportunities for small businesses to create better brand awareness and also connect with people that are interested in what they have to say. It would be wise to focus one or two platforms so all efforts can be channelled into building and growing their online communities.

About The Guest Author: Josh Kennedy writes on behalf of Company Formations 24″¢7 who specialize in setting up new businesses and show you how to register a company name.

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