Fear Not! You CAN Do This.

Something we hear over and over again when talking with small business owners is a fear of social media. The fear takes on different shapes, but the common denominator is always the same. While business owners are aware of the benefits a Facebook business page or a Twitter handle can hold, the ever changing world of social media marketing often seems daunting and time-consuming to folks who are busy making a million other decisions for their business on a daily basis.

As the good book says, FEAR NOT! Social media marketing doesn’t have to be all-consuming to be effective in growing your business.So,whether you are paralyzed with fear over knowing what to post to all those sites or your fear lies in knowing where to even begin, here are a few tips on getting your business social:

1. START SMALL.While having a Facebook business page, Twitter, Youtube Channel, Google+ page, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Vine accounts for your business seems like “the right thing to do”, they don’t all need to happen at once. (Or maybe ever.)

Simply start with one or two and work from there. Not sure where to start? Take a look at your target audience and where they “live” on social media. For example, are you targeting young moms? Pinterest may be the right fit for you. Targeting the 60+ crowd? Then, Facebook might be the right fit.

(We recommend to those wishing to start small to create a Facebook Business Page plus one other site. Studies show 58% of American adults 18+ use Facebook making it a good overall place to begin.)

2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. Once you have decided the accounts you want to pursue, it is time to create content. While this may seem time-consuming, it doesn’t have to be with the right planning. Consider creating a monthly content calendar and add in your company’s sales or specials, new product launches, holidays, or other important events. Add links to articles you may have read that might also interest your audience a few days a week. (Facebook has a great tool for saving links.)

Have a retail or e-commerce store? People love to “window shop” on your social media, so be sure to add plenty of pictures of fun products in your store. Also, check manufacturer’s websites for marketing videos they have created for products in your store that can be shared to your social media.

3. TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE. Social media is just that: SOCIAL. People aren’t looking for another form of advertising from your social media accounts. They want to know YOU and your brand. So, be true to yourself and your customers by being yourself! Embrace what makes your company different and showcase it on your social media outlets. It will go a long way in building loyal customers for years to come.

4. ANALYZE. Most social networks now prove analytics.Take the time once a month to truly analyze these results and use them to improve your marketing. Do posts that have helpful hints perform well? How about the posts of products from around the store? Use this data to evaluate just what types of content your followers are most interested in seeing and make changes accordingly to your monthly content schedule. Unfortunately, people can be fickle and this data changes on a regular basis, so a monthly evaluation is best to keep you on top of your game!

See, it really isn’t that scary after all! Ready to get started? GO!