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Social Media Basics

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Pursuing a strong online strategy is becoming vitally important for every small business. But with so many voices talking about so many different things, how do you know where to begin? BizCoachingOnDemand brought in Social Media Manager Harry Kierbow and Webmaster Ed Fox to talk about the fundamentals of social media and website management.

Social Media
Everybody is talking about social media for small business, but not many are using it right—or even using it at all. Social media represents a good value, as a way to connect with people at a low price regardless of whether you choose to pay for advertising or not. Setting up profiles on various sites is free, until and unless you choose to start paying for advertising and promoted posts, among other things.
An important thing to remember with social media is that there is no one network that everyone should be on. Instead, you have to start by determining who  you want to target—who are the people you are going after as potential customers for your business? Then identify where those people are. If you are looking for business professionals, then LinkedIn might be right for you. If it’s people who enjoy your content and are familiar with you, then maybe it’s Facebook. There are types for each network. Once you know who you are targeting and where they are, then go to them.
Business Website
Your website reflects who you are. In that regard, it is just like a brick and mortar business. It’s what people see; it represents you. When you’re building a website, the two most important things to keep in mind are layout and content. What does your website look like, and what is on it? You need to include all the information that somebody who visits your site might be looking for, and make it easy to navigate so that visitors can find what they want, figure out who you are and what you do. And don’t forget strong calls to action—make sure visitors to you site know exactly what you want them to do, whether that’s give you an email address, order online, call you, or visit your store.

You can drive traffic to your site through sound Search Engine Optimization (SEO) principles. Use keywords, tags, and titles that clearly indicate what your site is about and what people should expect to find on each page.

Managing Your Time
One of the challenges for small business owners is time—where is the time to run a business, a website, and social media accounts? It is important to connect your website with your social media pages. You can make your website work for you by setting up a blog on the site and tying it to your various accounts. Most people won’t go to your site every day, but they will go to Facebook, and they’ll see that you’ve posted a blog, which will take them to your website. It also gets them used to seeing you and your brand.

Don’t let the idea of blogging intimidate you; it doesn’t have to be an extravagant, over-the-top thing. Think of it as an informal way to put a personal face on your business and your industry. Just share relevant information with your customers that is fresh, and tell them what you want them to do. With a genuine, helpful voice, you’ll enhance your reputation and your customer reach.

Published: June 21, 2013
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Business Coaching On Demand was formed out of the need to provide small business with expedited results in today's competitive marketplace. We recognize that sometimes small business is overlooked and when services are available, they are generally priced too high to be implemented immediately. We also realize that many small business people have no idea where to go for the help and support they need.

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