Five Rules Of Reaping The Rewards Of Social Media For Your Small Business

If you frequent Twitter, you'll be aware of the ubiquitous presence of dozens of self-proclaimed 'social media gurus' - promising to unlock the secrets of Twitter, Facebook and other shiny social media portals for your business; for a fee.

I don't mind saying that I consider 90% of these 'gurus' to be total, unequivocal hacks. I can say that with a certain amount of authority, too - much of my work focuses on social media and I've got more experience, better results and a larger dollar value riding on my work than half of these 'gurus' - and I certainly don't consider myself to be an expert on the subject.

I just know how to take a company's social media presence to a certain level, which happens to be a level above what many 'gurus' would take it to.

In fact, in all the time I've been working in digital marketing, I've only met one person I would consider a 'social media guru' - and compared to the trite service offered by many of the self-publicists on Twitter, the results he produces are nothing short of witchcraft.

Anyway. Given my proclamation that I know more about social media marketing than most of the hacks out there, an exciting new digital Advertising Agency (one of the few that actually deliver value for money) asked me to write about the five rules of reaping the rewards of social media for your small business.

1. Don't be afraid NOT to spend money: Like with the early days of the Internet, the beauty of many social media outlets at the moment is that they're free. You can design a company page for your business on Facebook without spending a penny - and even get an exclusive Facebook URL for it if 25 of your employees, family or friends 'like' your page. The social media hacks want you to pay for their services - but often you can get equal or better results for free.
   
2. Give value for that 'no money': Much social media is 'free' - but that doesn't mean you need to deliver what you paid for it. If you start promoting your company on Facebook or Twitter, don't just create an account and sit back resting on your laurels - make sure you give something to those who 'like' or 'follow' your new account. I'll explain what I mean next.
3. Be an active player: Too many businesses create a 'page' for their business, and then never do anything with it. Your social media productivity should represent the real-life productivity of your business - so post relevant, interesting material on your Facebook or Twitter accounts at least three times a week, and court 'likes', retweets, comments and posts in response by picking topics and raising questions that will cultivate discussion and reaction.
4. Don't be too active a player: Less is more - nothing gets people unliking a page, or unfollowing a Twitter account more than incessant posts that add nothing of value. As a company, you should aim to post no less than once or twice a week, but no more than once or twice a day.
5. Measure your results: Whether it's the amount of comments, 'likes', retweets or responses you get, actively quantify the results of your social media campaign - and then strive to improve upon them. Those are the standards to which these so-called 'social media gurus' are expected to be held; so hold yourself as accountable as one of these 'experts' and you'll soon discover that you are one.

Why you shouldn't 'friend' your boss on Facebook

Here is an important lesson to be learned from Social Media – in this instance, networking site Facebook.


Don’t ‘friend’ your boss and then badmouth him in a status update!

As funny as that example is, though – it’s a sober warning for the rest of us. With the advent of ‘social media’ like blogging, Twitter and Facebook, it’s never been easier to create your own online identity and communicate it across the Internet.

But it’s worth remembering that what you project into the information superhighway stays there – and can often come back and haunt you with nothing more complicated than a ‘google’ search of your name.

Coworkers, bosses, clients and even potential new employers will be exposed to whatever you’ve thrown out onto the Internet and their opinion of you will be influenced as a result.

If your blogs are rambling and full of typos, it projects a message that you’re sloppy and lack attention to detail.

If you launch f-bomb laden rants on political forums, you come across as angry and opinionated.

If your Facebook profile features nothing but pictures of drunken debauchery, your boss might start to wonder if your ‘Monday morning flu’ is authentic!

So take charge of your online identity! You’re in control of how other people view you online and if you’re not proud of the result, you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.

Fortunately, help is at hand.

Social Media Specialist Tyler Jennings is giving a lecture this Friday (September 25th) to present ‘Personal Branding 2.0: Best Social Media Practices.’

Personal Branding 2.0: Best Social Media Practices
7:45 a.m.--9:30 a.m.

USA TODAY
535 Madison Avenue
32 Floor

In this 90-minute lecture, he’ll introduce you to the same brand-building exercises that real businesses use to establish their hierarchy amongst competitors, talk directly to their consumers and establish the values they wish to be identified with.

Using these techniques, it’s a straightforward exercise to build a ‘personal brand’ you feel fairly represents you.

So if you’re a frequent ‘Twitterer’ or spend more than an hour a week on Facebook, Jenning’s lecture could help. Find at more at the AWNY website here.