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What All Small Business Needs To Know About Social Media

July 14, 2013 By Ron 42 Comments

The most important thing small businesses need to remember as they start adopting social media marketing is the very same thing that might make them reluctant to engage in this strategy in the first place.

small business social media

This is the fact that this type of business marketing is much more a two-way street than anything that’s come before.

, as well as individuals, But now that has to change. Social media has begun to turn the company-customer relationship into a real conversation.

This thought terrifies some companies, while it makes others angry. Why resort to social media guidelines, they reason, when they’ve got tried and true advertising methods that have worked for decades?

They are used to putting ads and specs out there to tell the customer what they think he or she should know, and this customer has previously been a relatively passive recipient of the word from on high. Now the customer expects to talk back and even make judgements on the company’s products and way of doing business. Rather than embracing this social media strategy, some companies view this new way of doing business as suicidal.

The reason, of course, is the fear of losing control of their brand. But social media marketing can ultimately be beneficial to the companies that integrate it with all their other marketing strategies. For one thing, customers will feel listened to, especially if they see their genuinely valuable suggestions being taken up by the company.

The Mistakes Small Business Make

As a marketing consultant here in Australia, this is one strategy that has been very slow to take off by many small businesses. Yes some have gone down the road of using social media,  but have left disgusted and frustrated at the negative impact it had on their small business. So why did this happen? Simply put, they never used the social media platform to engage their readers – only to sell any and every product they could.

As an example of this, I have taken over a campaign from a DIY webmaster that had set up Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote his rainwater tanks. That was his first mistake. From his lack of understanding about his audience and day after day tweeting and posting about his products, he was not adding value or even engaging his readers. In fact, he was alienating them more and more each day.

What he needed to do was offer value in the way of notifying his followers about any changes in Australia about the water tank rebates. Or share how to care for and maintain any existing water storage tanks his followers may already own. Or even let them know what the most innovation rainwater tanks to install are – and why.

It’s all about customer engagement and holding the interest of the reader!
Shoving promotion after promotion down someone’s
throat is the wrong way to go.

It’s All About Growing A Business

After all, businesses as well as individuals have room to grow and improve. If customers are part of the process, they’ll feel greater brand loyalty. And if the company uses a social media campaign to create buzz around new products, then the customers themselves will become part of spreading the word.

The one thing that always comes through, though, is whether or not a company’s social media marketing is merely a cynical ploy to use customers’ networks to their advantage. If people are not genuinely respected and taken seriously by the business, then social media principles work the opposite way, too.

Disillusionment or disgust over a company’s products or practices can spread through this media platform even more quickly than approval. The best way for businesses to adapt to the social media world is to become full-fledged members, engaging in genuine conversations.

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« Charting The Customer Journey Using Social Intelligence
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Filed Under: Small Business Advice, Social Media Networking SMM Tagged With: small business, smm, social media, social media marketing

About Ron

Ron Cripps the owner of Affiliate X Files & MarketingTilt has been online since 2001 full time. Starting his own online business selling eBooks and video courses. Then over time realized the power of affiliate marketing. Follow Ron on Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Comments

  1. reny muthu says

    April 30, 2018 at 2:30 am

    Thanks for sharing such a wonderfull article, people who has small business this blog will really help them,
    reny muthu would love you to read ..Reach ground-in dirt or remove stains and dust mitesMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Mihir says

    August 28, 2016 at 10:50 pm

    I think Customer Service is the Best way to develop business and Social Media is the best way to referral your business what it does It just does Viral and Viral makes so many advantages when you start business and then you can start right track of the business.
    Mihir would love you to read ..Hello world!My Profile

    Reply
  3. Guy says

    February 21, 2014 at 11:10 pm

    I’ve noticed that businesses in our city are jumping all over social media. Most of the people I know go to Facebook or Twitter to get special coupons or even menus and even order on social media sites. This post should be seen by all businesses. Good job.

    Reply
  4. Naveena Taunk says

    January 28, 2014 at 1:04 pm

    Totally agree, social media is a great way of online marketing. I like reading and blogging about various business and marketing strategies

    Reply
  5. Art says

    December 4, 2013 at 3:17 pm

    Great post!
    Online Marketing can be a very powerful for any business but it has to be done right!
    Many people are trying to implement odl marketing ideas in order to save some money but unfortunately for them it can harm them more than help…
    The best way to learn about online marketing is listen to the experts!
    Good luck 🙂
    Art
    Art would love you to read ..5 Reasons why Business People are Failing OnlineMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Souvik says

    October 30, 2013 at 7:49 pm

    I think after recent penguin update old style SEO by link building is coming to an end soon. social media don’t only boost site rank it brings direct traffic. It is vital for today;s business promotion.

    Reply
  7. Jignesh Shah says

    September 14, 2013 at 7:14 am

    Hey Ron,

    Fully agree with your writing :-), Customer relationship is always very important in growth of any business, and the social media is a very good platform for this purpose, it is the healthier way to introduce your product with a huge no of people which may convert in your customers. And it helps to improve your services on the bases of their feedbacks. So according to me social media is a smart way to boost your business

    Reply
  8. Yashika says

    August 29, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    I use social media constantly. However I abuse the system by trading likes and shares across all social media mediums.
    Yashika Fire Safety takes huge pleasure in introducing itself as the leading manufacturer and supplier of fire safety solutions products. Our exclusive portfolio of products includes slanting Type Landing Valve, Short Branch Pipe, Instantaneous Coupling, Fire Hose Reel, etc. Besides, we are also a service provider of Complete Fire security Solution and Fire Alarm System Solution. Our company is completely dedicated to providing comprehensive fire safety solutions to the clients and serving the society to the best of our potential.

    Reply
  9. Adam Dukes says

    August 6, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    I just recently read a report on Mashable or some other main stream site saying social is not working for retailers. They had some pretty big brand listed and the one I looked up on FB — surprise, surprise, they were talking about themselves the whole time. It’s not a surprise it wasn’t working for them.

    I know lot of people live by the 80/20 rule, but I am more of a 90/10 guy myself.
    Adam Dukes would love you to read ..Why Building a House is Similar to Marketing Your Business OnlineMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Harry says

    August 4, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    Customers are always on top of every business chain. The more you try to make them comfortable, the better off will your business be. I agree clients see your work, if they see your considering their feedback, the trust grows, which is very important. Thanks for the post, Ron.

    Reply
  11. Erwin says

    July 31, 2013 at 11:56 pm

    Social media has great potential to increase the number of visitors, PR and of course sales. I believe that it takes a long time, hard work and perseverance.
    Erwin would love you to read ..Natural Weight Loss Supplements GuideMy Profile

    Reply
    • Matt, Australian photographer says

      August 1, 2013 at 10:29 pm

      Most definitely. It’s not an instant solution!
      Matt, Australian photographer would love you to read ..Famous photographers have me twistedMy Profile

      Reply
  12. Casey H says

    July 30, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    Social media can be confusing to some small business owners….That why it pays to do the research before launching a social media campaign. Better to do it right the first time instead of having to clean up the mess.
    Casey H would love you to read ..Advertising 101My Profile

    Reply
  13. Veneer Knives says

    July 26, 2013 at 1:30 am

    Hey Ron! I totally agree that social media marketing is a great technique to growing our business because by using social media your business message go viral.

    Reply
  14. Fahad Amir says

    July 25, 2013 at 5:39 am

    New plans and strategies offered to make our business best of best. At this point small business may create mistakes but the finest things is that when you have plan some different and unique things for the business then a good decision will boost up your company.
    Thanks..
    Fahad Amir would love you to read ..HEC Need Base Scholarships ProgramMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Yashika says

    July 23, 2013 at 7:49 am

    The continual engagement is where so many SMB’s fall down with social media. Moreover, as you point out, most want to cram stuff down their potential client’s throat, that they tune them out. Great content marketing and engagement is the key.

    Reply
  16. Angella Peterson says

    July 23, 2013 at 6:39 am

    Very impressive post. Social media always connotes to use its strategies in proper manner to grow your business. Very nice post. Keep sharing like this. 🙂

    Reply
  17. Ravi says

    July 23, 2013 at 3:44 am

    Thanks for sharing these information.
    It’s no doubt that time social media is the most effective ways for business promote their product. I mean that if they don’t use social media in the right way it will damage their business instead of sporting. I can’t agree more with your points in this article. Keep sharing!
    Ravi would love you to read ..Placements @ HCL CDCMy Profile

    Reply
  18. Lee says

    July 21, 2013 at 8:56 am

    I hate social media as it takes up so much time to keep on top of it so I have started to prioritise other areas and put it further down the to do list. Hopefully other people will follow suit as I think to much is relied upon it now. Lee

    Reply
  19. Alison says

    July 19, 2013 at 8:21 am

    you are sure if customers are part of the process, they’ll feel greater brand loyalty?

    Reply
  20. Meet says

    July 18, 2013 at 10:04 am

    Ron, I agree with you. Social Network is playing the biggest role in the customer relations and if you do not use that properly, you are going to damage your business image. But using such platforms with little care and understanding can definitely help you a lot.
    Meet would love you to read ..8 Best and Powerful Web Analytic ToolsMy Profile

    Reply
  21. Suzi Smith says

    July 17, 2013 at 6:28 am

    Ron,

    Certainly, social media marketing is a great way of promoting business and sale stuff. This is a good checklist of what small business owner should know about Social media. Great stuff Buddy.

    Reply
  22. Delhi says

    July 17, 2013 at 5:06 am

    Thanks for sharing these information.
    It’s no doubt that time social media is the most effective methods for business promote their product. I mean that if they don’t use social media in the right way it will damage their business instead of sporting. I can’t agree more with your points in this article. Keep sharing!

    Reply
  23. Vikram Pandit says

    July 17, 2013 at 3:32 am

    Advertising on social sites like Facebook makes it a great way to promote your business. It does cost you, but then should always invest in something if you are demanding a return.

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      July 17, 2013 at 10:31 am

      Hello Vikram,

      I advise people to be VERY cautious advertising on Facebook. See the case studies in http://socialimplications.com/facebook-extortion/ for why.

      Reply
  24. Steve Faber says

    July 17, 2013 at 12:35 am

    We tell our clients that social media is all about their audience and building a relationship with them. They’ll be time for selling later. The relationship comes first.

    What businesses have to remember is that unlike in the past, the interaction with their customers is now out in the open for all to see. How they handle the situation can make the difference between life and death. In the past a single call to their complaint department was unlikely to sink the ship, but bad response on social media channels just may.
    Steve Faber would love you to read ..Why Your Email Newsletter Isn’t Working – 10 Campaign Killing Newsletter MistakesMy Profile

    Reply
  25. himanshu says

    July 16, 2013 at 11:48 am

    The more you are engaged with your customers the more trust will be build and there will be a better dependency and awesome relationship for longer time.

    Reply
  26. Prem says

    July 16, 2013 at 6:22 am

    Really, Social Media has so important these days. Thanks for this informatics post.
    Prem would love you to read ..The increasing popularity of hair transplant in Kolkata todayMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Donald says

    July 16, 2013 at 4:30 am

    excellent data social networking discussing is critical for virtually any sites. I seriously identified these people valuable in addition to very helpful appreciate it regarding discussing.

    Reply
  28. Elizabeth Cruise says

    July 16, 2013 at 2:57 am

    Hi Ron, I just read out another post on this website which tells the bad affects of Social Media Marketing on Business. But after reading your post i came to the point that if there are bad ones than there are good ones as well. You just need to have the correct strategy. I also own a small business and to grow it, I am looking forward to get information on Social Media Marketing. Very informative post Ron…

    Reply
  29. QuynhLan says

    July 16, 2013 at 12:25 am

    It’s no doubt that nowadays social media is the most effective tool for business promote their product. Actually, everything have 2 sides of problem. I mean that if they don’t use social media in the right way it will damage their business instead of sporting. I can’t agree more with your points in this article. Keep sharing!
    QuynhLan would love you to read ..[OpenCart Themes] Tempus: A stylish OpenCart theme for mobile store!My Profile

    Reply
  30. Sana says

    July 15, 2013 at 11:50 pm

    For success of a business, a company should engage its customers by keeping in view their interests. A company must introduce polices that must be in favor of customers. Engagement of customers is might and main of a business.

    Reply
  31. Edwin says

    July 15, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    The continual engagement is where so many SMB’s fall down with social media. Moreover, as you point out, most want to cram stuff down their potential client’s throat, that they tune them out. Great content marketing and engagement is the key.
    Edwin would love you to read ..3 Tactics To Mitigate Risk In Corporate Venture InvestingMy Profile

    Reply
  32. Cassie says

    July 15, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    I love reading informative articles like this one. This is really useful. Thank you for sharing this one.

    Reply
  33. Mark Jordan says

    July 15, 2013 at 7:04 am

    As we know that Social media is necessary in all kinds of business not even in small business anyhow Thanks for reminding us to stay on track, and I’ll definitely keep this post in mind for the future!
    🙂

    Reply
  34. James says

    July 15, 2013 at 4:54 am

    Social Media has now significant importance in small business growth and the way you elaborate its importance and usage I’m impressed and enjoyed reading this material. Thanks!

    Reply
  35. Jeric says

    July 15, 2013 at 3:01 am

    I agree with this phrase – ” The best way for businesses to adapt to the social media world is to become full-fledged members, engaging in genuine conversations.”
    It is really important to communicate to your followers about your business to build a long lasting relationship that will help you in the future!
    Jeric would love you to read ..Ayala Land Open Space Web RedesignMy Profile

    Reply
  36. Francesca says

    July 15, 2013 at 2:46 am

    Social Media is very important in online business promotion. Now social signs are noticed by search engines in increasing ranking of website. I have started doing social media marketing on FB and noticed an increase in website ranking in just few days.

    Reply
  37. Mitch says

    July 15, 2013 at 1:52 am

    in today’s competitive marketplace you simply cannot afford not to exploit the full online exposure to the fullest, social media on its own without your personal website and search engine exposure won’t work.you have to be engaged in both.Social media marketing and search engine marketing go hand in hand, Because your social media efforts help strengthen your SEO efforts.

    Reply
  38. sanjay says

    July 15, 2013 at 5:58 am

    They need to keep someone/an entire department doing Social Media as a full time job. Its the only way.

    Reply
  39. David Crowell says

    July 14, 2013 at 10:48 pm

    I use social media constantly. However I abuse the system by trading likes and shares across all social media mediums. Google seems to take notice much quicker that way.
    David Crowell would love you to read ..FREE Top Domain SEO Tricks, Tips, Do’s and Do not’s. How To Do SEO with just a Domain name. Get the Top Highest Page Rank From the First Google Crawl. July 7th 2013 TLD SEOMy Profile

    Reply
  40. Laura says

    July 14, 2013 at 4:14 pm

    They need to keep someone/an entire department doing Social Media as a full time job. Its the only way.
    Laura would love you to read ..Alfa Romeo WallpaperMy Profile

    Reply

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