For many small business owners, the first hurdle to overcome is finding the time to engage via social media. While there's no one-size-fits-all solution for the perfect social media workflow, that doesn't mean you can't develop a solution that's perfect for your business. Follow these four steps for a smooth start to your social media campaigns.
There are two types of social media users that you need to attract in order to see the biggest gains in ROI for your company's social media efforts: social influencers and potential customers. Social influencers are just that – people with large followings or fan bases that can influence how other users perceive a brand. Combine these with people who are a good fit for what your company sells, and who are interested in what you have to offer, and you have the basis for a social media audience with a solid ROI.
If your company still hasn't tapped into the power of social media, you aren't alone. InformationWeek's SMB study on social media usage in 2011 found that around half (47%) of small businesses operating in the US were not using social media at all.
We're already well into the first month of 2013, but it's not too late for some essential New Year's Resolutions to grow your business this year. Google Analytics makes it easy to get a wealth of knowledge about your company, but what should you focus on to maximize results? Here are our top business metrics recommendations for 2013:
Are you using email to keep in touch with your customers and leads? Direct marketing using email is one of the best ways to communicate directly with your target market. Email marketing also gives you an easy way to track and measure responses, so you can better customize your marketing content moving forward.
Have you been thinking about using webinars to market your business? If you have been, you’re smart. Last year, there were more than 100 million online video viewers per day in the US (comScore). And because your customers now have the ability to access video at any time, and from nearly any device, this presents an incredible opportunity to engage them using this fast-growing delivery method.