Where Do I Start With Social Media? A UK Business Owner’s Guide

Most businesses use social media as part of their online marketing plan and it is very easy to feel like you have been left behind when you are not using social media. If you are a business which isn’t using social media then it might be time to consider using it because social media offers you the chance to spread the word about your business’ services and/or products. However if you are a business who is using social media or a business thinking about using social media in your marketing plan, are you aware of how imperative social media actually is for a business?

Below are 5 different social media platforms which can help your business:

Facebook:

Facebook is the biggest social networking site with over 900 million users. With this many users you are guaranteed to find your targeted audience.

Facebook is a great social media channel which dominates the B2C (Business to Consumer) online marketing; this is because as a business you are able to showcase the attractiveness of your products visually. Facebook is also a great networking site where you can communicate and engage with your audience. Not only can you communicate with your customers but you can also engage with your potential customers by sharing content about your services and products. However doing this is very time consuming because as a business you do not want to post and share the same information all of the time, you need to be creative and share not only informative information but also fun information, this will catch the eyes of your targeted audience and keep them interested in your business. So even though this will be time consuming, in the long run this will help your business substantially.

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is another great social networking site, however unlike Facebook this social networking site is generally used for more professional services. LinkedIn is a more professional networking site with over 250 million users, and by using LinkedIn you can provide your business with a professional profile. Not only can you share content about your services and products but you can also find business partners, clients and service providers. Therefore if your business is B2B (Business to Business) this social networking site is a must have!

Google Plus:

Google Plus has over 120 million users, however this is still a vital social networking site to have which will benefit your business in a variety of ways. Google Plus offers your business a different audience to Facebook and other social networking sites, because Facebook generally connects with friends, Google Plus connects with people who share your common interests and you can also connect with thought leaders. Not only does Google Plus offer you a different audience, it also processes all of the content which you share, and this is great for SEO purposes. Read more about SEO here: How to Turn your Website into a Consistent Source of New Business

Twitter:

Another great social media channel is Twitter. It is the second largest social networking site and it has over 310 million users. Twitter is great for building followers if you share a lot of content, this is because the more people who are following you, the more people you can share content with.

Twitter is also a great networking site where you can reach out to your targeted audience and you can also target people in a particular niche search. But remember, your competition is on Twitter as well, so one of the things which you can do is have a look and research what they are posting about and the types of things they are posting e.g. pictures or content. And by doing the research on your competitors Twitter profiles, you can use the same techniques yourself and see which techniques work the best for your business. More on Twitter can be found here: A Beginners Guide To Twitter – Six Frequently Asked Questions

Pinterest:

Pinterest is also a fantastic social networking site which a business can benefit from, especially if you have an ecommerce website because Pinterest has over 150 million users. On Pinterest you are able to pin pictures and create boards, this is a great channel to share images on, you could almost think of Pinterest as an online scrapbooking website. If you do have an ecommerce website then Pinterest is a great site to show off your products, the idea is to post an attractive and eye catching image with a link back to your website so that your targeted audience want to see more and visit your website. This is great because not only can you exhibit your products but if you have featured products or special offer products then you can also create awareness by sharing the image with a caption which makes your customers want to take prompt action.

If you are thinking about setting up a Pinterest account, but want a step by step guide then you should check out this article: A Beginners Guide: How To Create A Pinterest Page For Your Business

There are many business owners who do not understand the importance of having a social media presence online and how it can benefit them and their business. If you want to stay ahead of your competition then social media is the way forward. By having social media profiles, your business will look up to date with the latest technology and it could also increase your businesses sales dramatically, because you are reaching out to more of your targeted audience. However you need to remember that you do not need to do this alone. You can get your staff involved so that they can share information about the business or if you wanted you could also use a professional Digital Marketing company to help you.

Article by Amber Haynes