Using Social Media for your Business

Do you tweet... like… blog…+1? Social media is a new world (and language)for many business owners. By now many of us have put our toe in the water by opening a Facebook fan page or Twitter account. Some of you may have a good following with loyal customers and brand enthusiasts engaged in your messages. Then I get the question now what? Many businesses hit the wall with what to share to keep their readers engaged. Here are some tips to help keep your social media followers coming back for more and to streamline your social media time investment.

What to Post
* Ask questions! Just posting bland facts or your latest promotion can get stale. Try engaging your followers by asking their opinions. Poll them on their favorite product, service, or latest trend then share the results.

* Don’t just post a link when promoting a website update, a promotion, or new blog. Explain the content and give the “why” for their click through.

* Instead of talking just about what you are doing (the latest lunch order, coffee, or weather) talk about what is currently interesting you. If you were wowed by the latest red carpet fashion, then talk it up. You can even tie it back into your business showcasing your products or services to recreate your favorite looks.

* Promote others. Don’t just focus on you and your business. Talk about your friends and followers to share their good news. Connecting with others is what social networking is all about.

Stay Sane in the Social Media overload
* You do not need to read every tweet, posting, blog - talk about overload! UGGGH! There is too much out there and who has the time. There are many tools to help. I recommend free tools such as Tweetdeck or HootSuite that organizes your followers and allows you search for key words to zero in on important stuff and weed out the rest.

* Use Direct messages to keep conversations private or if you feel there is no need to broadcast the message to the world.

* Some sites and tools allow you to schedule your posts. This way you can plot out your days or weeks key posts - then set it and forget it. Monitor as you can and respond as needed but no need to be a slave the updates and posts!

Social media can help your business stay connected with your customers, increase their engagement, and potentially grow your business. The key is to have a social media strategy and relax – this is a fun and exciting way to market your business!

Have other tips to share? Please post your thoughts below! Happy tweeting, posting, blogging and beyond!