How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business

As a work-at-home mom, are you promoting your small business on social media sites? If you’re not, you're making a big mistake. You can no longer be silent and hope that the business comes to you.

But where do you start? There are so many social media options that you’ve got to have a strategy.

Determine your assets. Before you start engaging in social media, look at your business and decide what you are going to promote. Who are your target customers? What are your assets? Will you offer coupons or discounts?

1. Sign up for social media pages. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linked In, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram...there are many social media outlets. Chances are they won't all work for you and your business, but don't let that stop you from exploring your options. Facebook and Linked In allow you to create a business page that people can follow and promote. Twitter is a great place to get new customers by using hash tags. Here is a great article about hash tags and how to use them.

2. Create an account on Hoot Suite. Here you can update all your postings at one time, rather than logging into each social media account separately. This will save you lots of time! You can also schedule your messages to be sent in the future so you don’t have to sit at your computer all day, or you can go on vacation and still promote your business via social media messages.

3. Post statuses and updates before focusing on followers. Many people will look at your social media page before deciding to follow you, so make sure you have some content on the page before you promote the page. Provide valuable information about your company; post pictures of your business or people enjoying your business. If you have videos on YouTube, share those videos on your other social media accounts.

4. Locate followers. Obviously friends and family will be friends with you and follow you. Ask them to promote your business through their personal page to gain more followers. Search keywords related to your business on Twitter to find followers. Search your town and surrounding towns to find news outlets, city officials and bloggers.

5. Keep your friends and followers interested. Get to know your followers. Don’t always promote your business when talking to them over social media -- get to know them personally. Find out more about their business (and promote it). More business for you will follow in the long run.

6. Vary your updates. They don’t always have to be about your business. Post inspirational quotes and funny cartoons, share interesting articles and promote other businesses that you have had success with. Make sure it’s not always about you and your business.

Use social media wisely and your business will start to flourish. It may take some time, but the Internet has made it easier than ever to make and maintain relationships with your customers. Once you spend a little time developing the knowledge and familiarity with social networking tools, you will eventually see a boost to your clientele.