Social networking is appealing to many people on a personal basis because it allows them to connect with friends and family from around the world in one simple step. After all, you can post a photo of your cat trying to squeeze her body into a Hamburger Helper box on Facebook and within five minutes your Aunt Nancy from Detroit, old college roommate in Hawaii and that dude you met at the bar the night you had too much to drink have all posted their obligatory “Aww how cute” on the post.
On the other hand, if you own a small business, the very global-ness of social media that makes it appealing personally can be a bit off putting on a professional basis. Even though you can reach people around the world, social networking can actually boost your LOCAL following. Find out how posting that incredible piece of content you hired article writers to create for you on a social networking website will have an impact the number of local customers that find you online.
- Every Platform is Not the Same – Some social media platforms provide better benefits for local businesses than others. Facebook, for example, is set up to where businesses can include information like store hours, a map to the location and other information that is beneficial to local customers.
- Find the Right Followers – Ask your customers to “like” or “follow” your social media profiles when they shop in your store. By doing this, you will have the right followers who will see your posts.
- Go Viral – While you may never achieve the same viral success as George Takei or Grumpy Cat, it does not hurt to post funny stories or pictures on your page. You may get some followers who will share your post and help you reach others—perhaps those located nearby!
- Be Active – Your social media profiles only give back as much as you put into them. Don’t disappear. The most successful pages are the ones where the owner is active.
- Respond – Getting a bad review or unpleasant comment on your page can be disheartening. However, this gives you a chance to show your local fans and customers how you respond in these cases. If you can, respond publicly and keep your head held high. You’ll impress your followers!
Reaching local customers for your small business may be your goal right now and social networking is a great way to do that. However, you may want to reach customers around the world one day too. Social networking will give you benefits now and can make it even easier to grow in the future too. Do not be afraid of the technology—it is becoming a very important part of marketing in today’s world.
Tracy S is a content writer and blogger who specializes in home improvement related topics. When she’s not working, Tracy loves playing pool, watching cheesy reality TV, spending time with her family and dreaming of the beach.
