Starting and/or running a local business can be rewarding. When starting out, an important factor to consider is your social media presence. It is more important than you might think.

If your customers have invested in social media, it is a good idea for your business to do the same. It is only natural to crave human interaction. What better way is there to reach out to them?

Being relatable only helps your business gain attention. Appeal to your customer’s needs and desires. Make it known that you will bend over backwards for them.

Establishing your online presence is important to successful marketing with social media. Recognizable brands as well as following trends are useful to your customers trying to reach out to you. Involving your customers and being a part of the community will only strengthen the bond you are trying to create.

Taking time to assure convenient access to all account is crucial to easy managing of this aspect of your business. Having a spot set aside in your budget for social media expenses will be beneficial. Just ensure you have trusted and skilled employees dealing with social media.

Something that applies to many aspects of social media is that quality over quantity is better. On this train of thought, starting with a few accounts is much better than making them all at once. Advertising is also optimal to getting your name out there.

Going overboard can be overwhelming for you and your customers. Do not put yourself through that. It is not worth all the trouble when you can focus on making what you already have – great.

You will also want to keep track of what is going on in your business’ online life. Social media is easy to track, and checking where you stand compared to others is easier than you think. Measure your demographics and appeal to who you know will be looking.

1. Coordinate social accounts

There are many social applications that combine your social media accounts and lets you update everything from one place. This is really helpful when you start making more accounts for your business. Keep that number down at first, though.

A few social accounts are almost necessary to market your new business. Twitter and Facebook are great starts as is Instagram. You can tailor most of these platforms to your businesses’ needs.

LinkedIn is also another site your company should have an account with. Networking with other businesses and professionals is great for getting your name out there.

Facebook is probably one of your most useful tools. Remember to make a local or business page instead of a corporate one. People trust you more than they do corporations.

Facebook lets you create groups and events. Any fund raisers or competitions you hold will do well when posted on Facebook. Even if you do not have a website, a Facebook page is a great, free substitute.

Verify your page for an even more trustworthy page. You can do that with Twitter, too. Gaining the customers’ trust should be a main focus, especially on the internet where nothing seems safe anymore.

2. Brand identity

To establish your business online, you have to decide on how you want to be seen. Pick a logo and a way you would like your customers to see and interact with you. Stick to it.

Your brand identity should match your brand personality. If your business already has fun, flashy employees or products, stay that way online. Be engaging and fun.

If you are a more serious type of company, keep it cool online too. Be professional and do not try to do something that would not fit in with your companies’ image. It just gets confusing.

3. Quality/quantity

This pertains to several different aspects of your social media adventures. Not only does the quality of the content matter, but so do the media outlets you choose to utilize. Choosing media outlets that do not align with your business will not be quite as effective.

You will want to have the highest quality content possible. Especially if there are only so many places to find your business online. Finding a few high quality, informative, and effective profiles is much better than several that don’t all have the same information.

That’s important, too. Make sure everything says the same thing. You don’t want potential customers seeing two different things and deciding to go somewhere else.

4. Budget

Setting aside funds for your social media activities is a good idea. From paying employees to website subscription fees, you are going to need to spend money at some point. Don’t skimp on this part.

Premium accounts can have benefits that are worth the cost. You will be able to get more use out of the sites that can be limiting when free. Do not be afraid to spend money on social media.

It is just advertising. You can even set it to your advertising budget. There is nothing wrong with spending a little money to sell your business to others.

5. Advertising

Advertising is an obvious tip for any businesses in general, let alone for small, local businesses. Of course you want to put your name out there and be seen. That is how you get customers to consider you and walk in the door.

Adding advertising online only benefits your business. Instagram is perfect for advertising. Whether you are taking pictures of your most recent hair style or posting a flyer for a gathering, you can find something to use it for.

Engage your core audience. Make interesting things for them to look at while they learn about your business. Write interesting and engaging content that they will never forget.

6. Start small and be selective

A few profiles are a great start. Depending on what type of business you have, 2 or 3 profiles would be ideal. Instagram may not be as useful if your business does not have much focus on visual aspects.

It can still be used later for advertising and any other purpose but if you cannot figure out how to use it efficiently when starting out, leave it be for a while. You will think of something. Taking it one step at a time is a good method for most things when starting out.

Google+, Facebook, and Twitter are all good websites to sign up with at first. They cover most of the people who use the internet to supplement their daily lives. It is almost guaranteed someone is going to use google to look for your business at some point.

LinkedIn is another one, but is more directed towards networking with other businesses and professionals. That is always great for getting your name in the business world. Having connections means you can mutually help each other out, especially when it comes to customers.

7. Follow trends

Facebook and Twitter will possibly always be some of the two first profiles to make. When searching for local businesses, some people are wary if there is no website. Even a simple website with a quick ‘About Me’ and service page.

If you feel ambitious, a whole website or other identifying page is pretty cool. If not, a Google+ page goes pretty far. Nowadays, almost everything is either Google or Apple.

Following trends may seem like it is giving in to the pressure. It might be, but when it comes to your business does it matter? Probably not enough to stop you from making that Facebook page of Twitter account.

Do not be afraid to go against the grain, however. Be unique. There can never be enough unique content on the internet.

8. Trusted employees

Also, try to get someone that you believe will be able to do the best job possible and really connect with your customers. It is all about building relationships and trust with them.

If you cannot trust your employees to keep it under control, doing it yourself can work too. Just make sure you can handle it and have the time. Taking some time to read up on each service would be helpful.

Investing in a social media manager might be best if neither of these options are ideal. This is why having a budget for social media is so important.

Unexpected costs may appear and being prepared is a good thing.

Many things encompass the online business community. Having one person to take care of it may be more financially beneficial in the long run. articularly because this is all to bring in more customers.

9. Community

Reaching out to the community is a great way to interact with and gain new customers. From holding contests to charity raffles, there are tons of things you can do to directly interact with the community.

A hair salon nearby recently held a raffle for Autism awareness and a charity. It was mentioned in emails and on their Instagram. Both of those were essential to getting the word out. Having a mailing list really did them well during the ticket selling.

Holding other kinds of events would be good for advertising too. Depending on your business, having a fund raising and car washes can be assets. You could even be sponsoring a group for a run or a walk.

Being similar or having something to do with the company does not matter. If you feel strongly about something, make it a part of your image. Just do not be forceful about it.

Being in touch with your community could not be more important. You want people to like your business and talk about it. People are amazing for spreading the word and having somewhere for people to go to learn more about your business is anything but harmful.

10. Measure results

There are many social media analytics tools to help gauge how well you are doing on the interweb. This will also help you figure out how you measure up to your competitors. Keeping track of how your business is doing in general as well as online is important.

If you do not do this, there could be some major improvements to be made that you are missing. This is where having someone specific to take care of social media is advantageous. You will not have to worry because you know it is taken care of.

Posting consistently and often will keep your numbers up. Also, keeping information updated is crucial. Old content and information look a little disconcerting.

Moving On and Up

Small local businesses can be hard to promote but the wonders of the online community show no limits. From pictures to blogs, you can set up anything you need to help your small local business run smoothly.

Once you have a good setup and feel comfortable with how things are, you can do what you want. You can make more profiles or consolidating them. Just keep in mind these tips and make sure you always think about how the customer will see you.It is all for the customers after all, right? Bringing them in and keeping them. It’s important to cultivate relationships that are mutually beneficial.

Social media is an ever changing platform that has countless options. Opinions may differ across the board but no one will deny the importance of connecting with your audience. That can apply to anything, really.

Your audience and customers are your greatest critics. Keep an open mind and listen to them if they have any questions or suggestions. They know what they like to see.

If you have questions about social media tips, please free to call  (631) 259-7714 or email us  david@applepiebusinessconsulting.com, and we will reply within 24-hours or less – Guaranteed (Monday through Friday)