Expert Advice: "Social Media is the Great Equalizer for Small Businesses"
With a Twitter following of more than 200,000 and a social media column for the New York Times, Melinda F. Emerson (aka @SmallBizLady) knows how to build a brand. Bottom line? “Always be your authentic self online, but never share or tweet anything that you wouldn’t want read in the newspaper,” Emerson says.
LINKEDIN: Why should a small business owner engage in social media?
EMERSON: Social media is the great equalizer for small business owners. It used to be that the business that could purchase the most advertising won in business. Now the power is in the hand of the customer. Quality content is the currency required to be successful online, but everyone should keep in mind that social media marketing is a long tail strategy.
When it comes to getting started online, I suggest building a complete profile on LinkedIn first. Why? Because it’s the first place a potential customer will look for information about you. Develop a listening strategy to figure out where your best target customer hangs out online, and join that site. Start with one social media site to build a following. Then move on to another site once you feel that you have a dominant brand presence. Do not kill yourself trying to do everything.
LINKEDIN: What are some ways to help a small business define the goal(s) of using social media?
EMERSON: There is a triple ROI of social media.
- Return on Investment
- Return on Influence
- Return on Identity
Social media accounts are free, but you pay with your time, which is extremely valuable. If you are successful with social media, you can leverage and monetize your influence. Ultimately, you are building your brand identity, which is key because you can hurt your brand as much as you can build it.
You should have a goal before you start using social media. Are you trying to build a brand? Reinvent a brand? Develop a customer service program? Test the market? Develop a global customer base? Position yourself for thought leadership? Drive web traffic? Drive sales? A combination of these options? It doesn’t matter what your goal is, but you need to know so that you can stay focused with your social media activities and content development.
LINKEDIN: In your opinion, is it worse to have no social media presence or one that isn’t updated regularly?
EMERSON: Do not start something you can’t maintain. It takes 12-18 months of daily work to build a social media brand. Having a social media account that is not updated is worse than not having an account at all. You can manage your social media presence one hour a day using tools like www.hootsuite.com or www.sproutsocial.com to schedule your content in advance. Be sure to check in live about three times a day to engage with people who are trying to speak with you or are sharing your content. Do not just leave your social media accounts on autopilot.
LINKEDIN DISCUSSION: Should companies respond to social media complaints via social media?
Photo credit: Shutterstock
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12 年Great interview Amy! Such words of wisdom are valued. The other thing I would add to what Melinda F. Emerson (aka @SmallBizLady) said about content is the ROI of Cost. In a digital world, the gift you give you almost always benefits you more than it costs, because the cost to produce one more copy is zero.
I got a lot of out of your article. Thank you Amy.
Newspaper + Magazine Journalist Now Tech Writer
12 年Excellent article, Amy! Am sharing it with my sister who is a graphic designer, and many others.