It’s very easy to forget, especially when your business and life and work are all conducted online, that for very many people and businesses, they rarely interact online.
So what if you own a business that exists in real space and has very little internet presence, beyond maybe a calling card website and an email address.
You know you need to get an online presence and you know you should be using social media for something other than kitten pictures. But you’re not sure how to go about it.
Help is at hand for the uninitiated – here is our handy guide to social media marketing for your old school off line business.
MAKE THE TIME
You need to set aside a time of day, or if you prefer maybe a couple of times a day, in which you will update all your accounts. If you pick a regular slot this will enable that you keep up with it.
Because naturally you are busy, you don’t have hours to be spent hunched over your mobile device or PC. But don’t worry, the whole beauty of social media is it does most of the heavy lifting for you, all you have to do is update it regularly and carefully.
Initially, fifteen to thirty minutes a day should be all the time that you need in order to do this.
PUT BUTTONS ON YOUR SHOP FRONT/ OFFICE AND WEBSITE
Make it easy for visitors to your website to see you on social media by putting the icons (i.e. Facebook and Twitter logo) down a sidebar or column on your website.
This simple step means people can instantly be taken to your Facebook or other social media account.
Also, this easy tactic can be used in real life. Display the Facebook logo on your shop front, office reception desk, in the window etc. You can place it on stationery and your business card as well. The same goes for any other social media icon, which you use.
GET PEOPLE TO SHARE STUFF
If there’s an article or photo you would like getting around, invite people to share it on their social media accounts. So any news stories, sales promotions and so on could be circulated this way.
GET PEOPLE TO LIKE YOUR PAGE
Once you have created your business Facebook page or other social media account, you need to get people to like it. This way they will see all your updates in the future.
REMEMBER TO INTERACT
Listen as well as talk on social media. Get involved in what other people are talking about, especially if it is something local or relevant to you or your business. Not everything has to be sales and business focused.
LISTEN OUT FOR COMMENTS
Mention app lets you know anywhere anyone has mentioned you in a comment. Obviously, this is great for stalkers and the paranoid(!) but also useful as a business tool!
Just remember to use it correctly. Some of the comments may be negative and how you respond to criticism is more important than the criticism itself. You don’t want to descend into name calling, slanging matches or online flame wars!
