A PEO Can Free You Up to Launch Your Social Media Campaign!
Social networking has taken the world by storm; just log on to your computer and you’re probably bombarded by Facebook posts and Twitter tweets. Add to that your email and your blog, and you can easily be at your computer for the long haul. Social media is time-consuming but the advantages can be numerous. Businesses worldwide are capitalizing on this new form of advertising by harnessing social media to broaden their network and customer base while improving their customer service. With the current economic struggle, integrating your small business into a social network will not only benefit your company, it may be the difference between keeping your business afloat or watching it sink.
Transitioning a small business to becoming active on social sites can be challenging. Some business owners and managers do not know how to begin social networking, nor do they have the time necessary to fully develop this means of advertisement and branding. Using sites and blogs such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+ can be complex and most definitely time consuming. Below are several tips to help make this transition into the social media world manageable.
Apply social media to improve your customer base and network.
Putting your business out on social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Google +, or Facebook is one of the best ways to increase your customer reach. On these websites you can specifically promote your business to your ideal target audience, allowing you to reach more people and strengthen your customer database.
Social networking can improve customer service.
One of the most beneficial aspects of social networking is that it allows a small business to easily maintain a relationship with customers. Social networking sites facilitate communication; a click of a mouse equates to contact with hundreds or even thousands of current and potential clients. Furthermore, social networking is a great means to offer promotions or receive feedback.
Use every post to your advantage.
Always view each post, tweet, or blog entry as a marketing effort to prove the value of your service or product. Each post does not have to be promotional. In fact, I would advise against trying to sell yourself. At the onset of your introduction to the social networking world, you want to attract followers through exciting and relevant information. Develop a group of followers by showing that you truly understand the industry and then slowly incorporate your product or service. Or, completely avoid coming off as overly promotional by focusing on the industry as a whole and not your specific product. Discuss your niche while directing followers to your website through a separate link or a username that reflects your company.
Keep it simple.
Posting on a social network allows you to update your clients on what is happening at your company and within the industry at large. However, you should be careful not to overwhelm them with too much information. A one-line post or tweet with pertinent information once every couple of days or even weekly is more effective than daily posts. Often daily posts lack substance because posters are focusing on quantity over quality. Keep it simple by sharing important, relevant information.
Consider adding a PEO (professional employer organization) to your staff.
With all of the adjustments a small business must go through to integrate social media into their advertising, using a PEO (Professional Employer Organization) can be a great advantage. Developing social media advertising usually takes more time than anticipated. Unfortunately, business owners and managers, specifically those running small businesses, are usually short on time. Fortunately, there is a solution. Handing over administrative tasks to a PEO will free up time & personnel, allowing you to develop the social media strategy your company needs. In other words, you can outsource payroll and employee benefits management to a PEO in order to direct your attention and your employees’ on social media. As the small business owner, you are the most able to project your company image so I would suggest personally managing social networking, at least in the beginning. It is, therefore, paramount that you free up time to dedicate to your social media campaigns.
Adjusting your small business to incorporate social media strategies may prove to be one of the best choices you can make. Even better, hiring a professional employer organization will give you the time necessary to develop this form of networking. Your business will provide better customer service, reach more of your target audience, increase your advertising capabilities, and give your small business the boost that it needs to survive the challenges of thriving in a harsh economic situation.
