Tweet Your Way to Better Business

Using Facebook as a marketing tool is almost mandatory. But before you ask clients to friend you or follow you on Twitter, consider the most effective uses of social media. Here are some tips from Giovanni Gallucci, an award-winning new media producer, author and digital media strategist.

Research. Learn how to find your existing and potential customers. Search for groups and buckets of people who share a demographic on the social media sites, then join the groups and start interacting.

Expand, don’t replace. Use social media to amp up current strategies, not replace them. “Some small business owners and entrepreneurs think social media is going to come in and replace their other types of advertising and marketing,” says Gallucci. “We find best success when we use sites like Twitter to compliment other advertising and marketing tactics.”

Build slowly. Start with just one, two, maybe three sites that make sense for your industry. Try tactics like building groups for disseminating information, posting giveaways on Facebook and sharing links about new trends on Twitter.

Protect your reputation. Be mindful about how your brands and products are perceived. Be careful about what you say online and how you respond to a customer’s posted comments and concerns. Address any problems and clearly explain what went wrong.

Keep up the momentum. If you don’t find value initially, don’t give up, Gallucci advises. There’s no magical number for how long it takes to get traction. You need to give yourself enough time so you can build a following.

Source: NAFE Magazine (Smart Talk)