So what do you do to get going with Social Media Marketing?

So here is what a typical business will do.

1. Set up social media accounts.  This is done by either hiring someone or figuring it out yourself.
2. Making everything look pretty!!  You put your brand and logo on your new accounts and make it look professional.
3. Start following people and connecting with people you know as well as people in your industry or niche.
4. This is where the stumbling begins.

Socialize

Being social is the key to Social Media Marketing!! Sure you can be social one day but what about the rest of the week, month or year!  There is nothing more frustrating to a customer or client, than not being heard!  This is not your typical marketing.  You don’t hire someone to make a pretty advertisement and plaster it on a billboard and wait.  This is active marketing.  You customers want to hear from you.  They want special offers through Facebook and Twitter.  They want to know your listening by responding to their needs!

After you are done setting the accounts up and making them look pretty don’t forget to come back and socialize often.

Time is a factor

I know as a small business owner I wear many hats.  We all do this to grow your business.  Sometimes in order to grow your business you must hand things off to someone else because we just don’t have enough hours in our day to do it all.  This is why there are Social Media Managers like Angie and I.  We are here to spend the time that you don’t have.  We will be social for you and handle your reputation when a disgruntled customer starts “yelling” on Twitter!  We handle these things so you can do the things you love to do in your business.

Bottom Line

Social media marketing is not about setting up your accounts and making them look pretty.  It is about participating and creating a true presence online. Whether you hire social media managers like us or you carve out time in each day to socialize the most important part is to do it. Do it consistently!

If hiring a social media manager is the right step for you check out our services.

photo credit: SierraTierr