I'm flattered by the amount of people who have reached out through social media and email to pick my brain about their business or tableSAVVY so here's some free advice for the masses. Take it or leave it!
When It Comes To Marketing, Start Free!
"I've got a great company, but there's a big problem - nobody knows about it yet!"
Is your company the best kept secret? So many times I've heard of startups that immediately want to throw money they don't have at a PR Agency, Ad Agency, or buy up that sweet ad placement that's "ONLY AVAILABLE AT 20% OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME!".
Whether you've been working 3 other jobs to support your passion or you've got significant funding, I strongly encourage new businesses to start with social media. I know several companies that have used Facebook or LinkedIn as their home page even before their website was created. To those companies, I give a giant pat on the back.
Don't Be Afraid... Social Media Doesn't Bite
"Sounds great, but I have no idea where to start?"
First, consider your target market. Are you looking to market B2C or B2B?
If you said B2C, consider starting with Facebook & Twitter...
Facebook: Good for longer posts where you want to share videos and pictures without making people click a link to see them.
Twitter: Think news headlines. Short and sweet, but effective!
If you said B2B, consider using LinkedIn...
LinkedIn: The #1 social tool to communicate with other businesses and business-minded individuals. You can run a company page or group relating to your company/industry and who knows, maybe one of the people following your discussions is a potential business partner, investor, or candidate for hire!? If so, message them and introduce yourself!
Other Channels:
If you do a lot with video then YouTube may be most effective. Though it has a website, my friends at clevvertv have made an enormously successful business from delivering the latest teen entertainment news entirely through YouTube. If you're business has to do with retail products then Pinterest or Tumblr might bring the strongest results. With both of those channels, be sure to attach the videos/pictures to your other social media sites and homepage. Google+ is also a channel to consider, though I don't find myself using it often.
There Is No Excuse
It's free, easy to use, and just requires your time. Coming from a strong media background, I know the power of Paper, TV, Radio, Web and in no way am I knocking Agencies because they are experts in marketing communications, but I say exhaust every free avenue possible before you start paying for help.
Social Media FAQ's
Q: "I don't have the time! Who can post all day long?"
A: Try using HooteSuite or TweetDeck. They're fantastic tools that will allow you to set up posts for a later time on multiple social media channels. I recommend setting the posts to appear around 8-9am, noon-1pm, and 6-7pm as these are prime social times due to consumer daily activities (when people arrive at work, just after lunch break, and just after dinner).
Q: "I am posting like crazy, but not getting anyone to like/follow my page(s)? What am I doing wrong?"
A: A sales person who just stands at the door and doesn't knock is going to be sitting there for quite a while. Friend, Like, Follow, Connect, Attach and Mention your target audience in your posts to let them know you exist. If you've got a company website set up, be sure people can interact with your conversations by setting up links or feeds to/from your page(s). Keep posts short as well. You may be able to post a huge amount of content, but people will only see the first several characters on Twitter and Facebook when browsing the news feeds so concentrate on grabbing attention with the first few words of any post.
Q: "We've reached huge numbers in likes/followers, but our actual business isn't growing?"
A: Get this question all the time. The key word in social media is SOCIAL. Likes/followers means that there are eyes and ears open to whatever you're trying to sell, but unless your target market interacts with your page(s) then it won't help your business. Give your audience a reason to interact! Try surveys, contests, events, links, photos, and video in order to breathe life into your page. What's your call to action? Why should your audience keep coming back to your page? Are you just talking about yourself or are you asking your audience to contribute? If someone comments on your post, are you feeding the conversation by commenting back? For social media pros, I have seen stores built into the page, like the case of reserving tee times using GolfNow. Also, check your social media reports to see who likes/follows your page(s) because it may be full of the wrong audience. If so, I'd reconsider what content you're pushing to attract and engage your target market.
Sean McClure, Co-Founder TableSAVVY
@sampraspro3 / LinkedIn
