Social Media - is it really that good for my business?

I've met and spoken with a fair few business folk that think having a FaceBook page puts them at the cutting edge of things, and some business owners who don't use any form of social media at all, saying it's a waste of time.  I've got two things to say about that. 

 - Firstly, if you don't think social media has any effect on your marketing then you really don't understand it or what it can do when done well.  And just having a FaceBook page that no-one sees is not effective advertising!

You wouldn't shrug off TV, print or radio advertising so easily, so why shrug off the new age of promotion? 

- Secondly, you might be right about it being a waste of your time - but that doesn't make it a waste of your company's time and money.  If tinkering with the Internet is not your thing, get someone else to do it - pay someone reputable to create the basics for you and show you what to do, then take over from there - or, if you really don't want to faff with computers - get someone to do it all for you - your FaceBook, your Twitter, your blog, and so on.  Pay someone to be the face of your company on social media.

If you do go down the route of paying someone to do your social media for you, make sure you have specific achievements in mind - higher visibility and sales.  Be sure you are told clearly how performance will be measured, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Anyone can shove a few things on the Internet - for them to be effective, they have to be done in a planned and targeted way and should produce results that can be seen.

Whatever you do, don't be afraid to embrace social media for your company, or you will find yourself increasingly left behind.

Image from http://www.ixlstudios.com/blog-40/259-how-to-avoid-a-social-media-nightmare.aspx

Got Klout?

I just discovered klout.com, a great wee tool that helps you track your online presence, both how strong it is and what areas it is perceived to be in.  It's been great for keeping me on my toes - no-one likes to see their score drop in anything, do they? - so if I see things dipping I know I need to get busier.  It's also helped me focus on what I am putting out there online.  After just a few days with klout, I realised I was somewhat schizophrenic in my online persona - part business woman, part crafter.  It's helped me focus on what I want to be and what I need to do to get there.  Not bad for a wee online tool, especially given it's free!

I'd recommend anyone with a professional online presence to give it a whirl - so long as you keep logging in to see how you are doing, it should be that wee kick up the backside to help you been seen and in the right places.

Learning by osmosis?

There are two types of people in this world:

- those who want to learn something so they buy the book, bookmark the web page and tape the programme, then make time to read or watch it;

and

- those who buy the book, bookmark the web page and tape the programme and think by doing that they've learned something..

My advice:  Read it.  Watch it.   Don't just shelve it!  No-one ever learned anything by walking past the library.

Many Hats

If you run a small business, you no longer are just a baker or a seamstress or a plumber or whatever.  Suddenly you're a receptionist, office manager, credit controller, accountant, advertising agency and marketer.  And whilst you can fudge some parts of each of those and get away with it, it will serve you better if you aim to do each one well.  It will save you time in the long run - not to mention money and sanity.

My tips:

• stay on top of your accounts - without that information you have no idea how you are doing, what is working and what is not, let alone whether you are solvent.
• do the filing at least once a week - you won't regret it, and it doesn't have to be a complicated filing system, just a system of some sort.
• answer your phone and emails professionally and with good manners.  Sounds obvious but how many calls do you come away from as a customer where you think the person on the other end was unhelpful or disorganised?  Do you want that reputation for your own business?
• think carefully about where you advertise - what custom you want to attract and from where, otherwise you will waste money.  

and last but not least by any means

• learn about social media and what it can do for your business.  And I mean really learn - not just a few random tweets and a dead Facebook page.  Find out how they work and use them in a targeted way.  You won't regret it.

You need many hats, but make sure you find the right ones and wear them well!

Small Business not Small Minded

I started a small business a few months ago and spent the next eight or nine months telling people it was "just a hobby", and then I had a revelation - it would never be a success if that's how I viewed it.  So, did I want a hobby or a business?  I had to decide.  I chose business, and decided to get serious about things.  And so it began...

So instead of just sewing and selling my wares at MooAndFlo and Lady Bracknell's Bags I decided to start learning in some detail how Facebook works, to start using blogs and Twitter and other social media in order to promote my businesses and in the process to actually learn how it all works (or is meant to work, at least).

And so Flo's Small Business Low Down was born.  A place to share what I find, get feedback from others, and keep a track of the excellent articles I find lurking in the back-waters of this thing we call the Internet.  You never know, I might even read some paper books - go figure!

So, if you want to share what I learn, BOOKMARK ME.  Now.  Yes, now.  Do it ---->

If you want to share what YOU learn, bookmark me and comment.

If you want to learn, read this, read that, read something - and then try it all for yourself.  It's the only way.