The day-to-day operations of your business take a lot of time. Not only do you have to work with customers, you have to stay in touch with your vendors, keep the inventory organized, keep your employees on task and make your storefront look at good as it possibly can. If you have a service-based business, you may not have inventory concerns, but you could find yourself out in the field working even harder! You have heard it is a great marketing tactic, but because your company keeps you busy, you don’t have time for social media, do you?
Actually, creating a basic social media presence for your company does not require spending hours upon hours posting on Facebook, talking with folks on Twitter and pinning photos throughout the day on Pinterest. You can actually have a rather active social media presence and only spend about 10 minutes a day on it! These tips will help you get started.
- You can be active on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter without ever visiting the sites. When you are looking at the latest industry news, blog posts and other information, many sites have a share button. Use the share feature and attach a personalized note. Your followers will get news that can be useful for them, and a “reminder” you are out there.
- Nearly all the major social media sites have iPhone and Android apps. You can Tweet, Facebook or Pin while you are waiting in line at the supermarket, picking your child up from school or killing an extra few minutes on your lunch break.
- If you take the time to create a post on Facebook or Twitter, encourage your followers to interact with you. Asking a simple question only takes a few seconds, but can spark a conversation that will engage everyone you are connected with on the social networks.
- Find out how to connect your accounts. It is possible to post to Twitter and have it show up on your Facebook account, and vice versa. That way you are not wasting time posting the same thing in two (or more) places.
- If you hire a writer to create blog posts for you, find out if he or she can create a social media post to go with it. It may cost a tiny bit more, but it will give your social media interactions a polished feel and save you time too.
- Have fun! The most important thing to remember is that social media can be a lot of fun. If you spend time connecting with your customers and potential customers through social media, you may begin enjoying it. Then, the time you spend on these “duties” becomes enjoyable, instead of a hassle.
Once you master the basics, creating and maintaining a social media presence is not that difficult. Spending just a few minutes a day can have huge payoffs when it comes to building connections with your followers.
Tracy S is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
