Social media and social networking websites offer a great avenue for online business owners not only to promote themselves and attract potential customers but also to engage with their customers.
Social networking websites offer great tools for business owners to interact with their customers and offer superb customer supports experiences.
If properly used, social media can be a great way to build an online presence that will help you reach out to millions of people.
With millions of people active on social networking websites every day no serious entrepreneur will want to be missing out on the potential benefits from social media.
Social Media For Small Business Owners
With the number of social networking websites out there today, it is at times difficult to decide on which one to use and which ones to avoid. But the fact still remains that some of these social networking websites generally stand out more than others.
They offer great tools to reach out to millions of people and as a result, build a great fans base that brings better results.
Below are the most powerful social media you should be using to promote your online business in 2013:
#1). Facebook
Facebook has grown from being an avenue to connect with your friends and families to a much bigger social networking website and most powerful marketing tool for both small business as well as the big ones. The huge number of Facebook users alone has made this social networking website important marketing too for any serious business and entrepreneur.
Facebook offers powerful marketing tools such as dedicated business pages which gives Facebook a huge advantage over other social network websites. Other features such as “Facebook Ads” and “Promoted Posts” added to a huge fan base are what make Facebook an unmissable social network for serious small business owners.
#2). Twitter
Considering the vast number of people that are using Twitter couple with the fact that it’s much easier to use, no serious small business owner will want to miss the opportunity offered by the world most popular social media platform.
Just like Facebook, Twitter rose from nowhere to become one of the most used social networks within a short period of time. Most entrepreneurs use Twitter because it is a great tool to drive traffic to their websites. Recent research has shown that people are more likely to click on a link on Twitter than any other social network.
#3). Pinterest
Pinterest provides a platform to discover and share things you love. Pinterest is one social networking website that has captured the attention of the entrepreneurs and small business owners recently. Though the number of users is clearly not as high as what you’d find Twitter and Facebook, but Pinterest is gaining traction, especially with the female demographic.
Pinterest recorded over 3.3 million unique visitors in October. While there’s no mechanism for potential customers to buy your products directly from the site, consider the marketing potential: Popular images (with links back to the original source) can get re-pinned on hundreds of other users’ boards.
#4). LinkedIn
LinkedIn as a social networking website is specifically designed for business professionals. So if you have not opened an account there, it’s time for you to do so. LinkedIn is like your online business card and curriculum vitae because it gives you the opportunity to personalised your profile by adding relevant information about yourself and your business.
If you are looking for potential clients, employees or contacts in your business niche, LinkedIn is the place to go as you can find lots of information about what businesses people are involved in. You can also use LinkedIn to promote your website content as well as your business.
#6). YouTube
Youtube has rapidly moved away from being a mere free family video hosting and sharing website to a really powerful tool through which any serious entrepreneur can reach out to millions of potential customers. If voice marketing has the “wow-factor” of getting potential customers over written articles, imagine what a marketing through audiovisual (video) will do.
That’s exactly what Youtube has offered other social network websites because with the number of social features on YouTube it makes a great place to socialize as well as promote yourself or your business.