How SMB IT Solutions Providers Should Use Social Media
By Ally Kutz, contributing writer
Social media is the best way for SMBs to increase name awareness and interact with a broader customer base. Andrew Gazdecki of Business 2 Community says, “Social media has the power to build a brand, but you need to know how to use the right tools in order to reap the benefits.”
Adweek’s guest post from Katherine Halek of Signazon.com details the steps SMBs should be taking in order to boost business. She quotes social strategist Rebekah Radice, who advises you must “create a content plan and posting calendar, so you know when and what you’re saying. Find out what type of posts your target demographic specifically wants to see. Make it your goal to inform, not sell, as this more effectively builds consumer trust. ”
Radice stresses it is important to focus less on amount of interaction and instead focus on engagement with consumers. This is especially important for service-based businesses.
With so many social media platforms out there, it is sometimes difficult to choose which one will give you the best coverage and be the best jumping off point. At the 2014 Technology Marketing and IT Sales Training Boot Camp, CEO Robin Robins and staff marketing coach Jeff Johnson suggested how solutions providers can use LinkedIn and Facebook.
Robins says to create a complete, professional LinkedIn profile and to use a professional photo, not your company logo. It’s important to make sure your employees make the proper impressions with their profiles as well. She adds it’s important to build the number of LinkedIn connections you have and to connect with prospects through LinkedIn Groups.
Johnson adds using a list developed on LinkedIn with ads on Facebook can equal a targeted campaign. Advertising through native ads that appear in Facebook’s newsfeed, you can target specific geographic areas and types of companies inexpensively. And you can use your list of contacts from LinkedIn to send ads.
According to Adweek, additional benefits of social media include helping to make your brand more recognizable through repetition, the ability to recognize and resolve dissatisfaction, and becoming more relevant in industry search results.
Sword & Plough, Little Passports, and Sharpie have all utilized social media to their advantages, growing their companies in astonishing ways. Read about their success stories at Business 2 Community.