Most “solopreneurs” and small business owners know that a social media presence is a must for growing a business. And almost certainly, business owners with small budgets have learned the basics of using social media sites and are working on building an army of followers. The go-to philosophy behind increasing your audience translates something like this:

• post content that engages potential customers
• work toward attracting as many followers as possible
• find more leads
• remember SEO and activity on social media go hand-in-hand

These suggestions are easy to spout off but, at times, become challenging or confusing to implement. What small businesses need is instruction on how to go about using social media in a way that works. It’s just that simple.

Content

To be noticed online, any content posted on social media sites must be informative. When done correctly, content posting will become a small duplicate of your business’ website since it should include information, information, information. Additionally, anything you post must be of the highest quality, an assignment which takes hard work and time. Do it anyway! Also, remember all the past information that you have garnered explaining how important branding can be. Your content should include stories, experiences, and ideas that give your brand/business/site authenticity, integrity, and meaning.

Followers

Building the number of followers you have is another time-consuming activity but there are actions you can take that will make a difference. Be sure to:

Let your customers know where they can find you by utilizing the power of search engine optimization. No one can argue with the fact that SEO is the way your website gets noticed. You must write your content for your customers, but if you do not take the time to utilize keywords, no one can follow you because no one will find you.

Choose keywords wisely. Google Keywords, a free tool, helps you learn the amount of competition and searches for specific keywords and find the exact keywords that describe your site. Other keyword tools available at no cost include WordStream, Google AdWords, SEO Keyword Permutation Generator, and Google Correlate, among many others.

Along with these excellent apps, small businesses need to find a niche market, and place and edit their keywords correctly. To succeed in getting your site seen, you must organize your homepage. An example of this process is starting and ending your page with keywords. The more information about keywords you can study, the better your chances become to get the attention your website needs.

Social Sharing

There are good ways to use social sharing, and there are techniques you should avoid. Authentically interacting with other social media users is always a positive way to make new connections and others learn more about your business or entrepreneurial activity. These days, smaller entities are trying out:

• whiteboard or scribe advertising
• videos
• live streaming
• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest profiles linked to your site
• embedded website links on all your social media sites
• a short, keyword-rich bio for all accounts
• improving cover photos and profiles
• keeping social accounts active

Target Audience

Once again, the power of social media comes to the rescue. Sean Miller, the lead product manager for CenturyLink, says:

Quote:

“One of the most powerful elements of social media is that you can very narrowly target where your customers are going to be located and then engage with them in a medium they prefer.”

At times, social media may seem like an unruly child, but there are ways to utilize it that make it less overwhelming. The benefits gained by understanding and strategically using today’s social media platforms are priceless. Once you have a solid grounding in the social media world, the rest of your work will become more and more rewarding.