Social Media Tips for Small Businesses

       Running a small business is a difficult task.  Not only is a significant amount of time, effort, and money put in on the owner's part, but marketing that business is also a necessity that falls on the insanely important "to do" list.  Because of its seemingly endless reach and its cost-efficiency, social media is a great way to market a small business (or any business for that matter).  So how should a business owner increase their social media presence?  Follow these tips to get started.
       First, find which accounts are working for you.  Many people think that they need to be on every single social media platform in order to reach every single potential customer.  Why stretch yourself so thin?  In my opinion, it is better to be a master at a couple or a few platforms than sub-par at a dozen.  If you're utilizing all of the features Instagram and Facebook have to offer why are you wasting time and effort posting sporadically on Pinterest and Twitter when your following isn't even there?  Educate yourself and keep up with the social media pages that are working for you.

       Another good thing to do is to strategize before you post.  Taking shots in the dark and hoping people will react is not a good tactic.  Plan your updates out. What is it that you are hoping to do?  Do you want to gain brand awareness?  Do you want to encourage calls-to-action? It is always a good idea to keep your main goals in mind when you are developing content.  Having a plan is always a good thing and it will help you better connect with your followers and potential customers because you took the time to do your research and think out your strategies and your updates.
       The last piece of advice for conquering social media is to engage with others on these platforms.  Look up hashtags and accounts that relate to what you do.  Like, comment, follow, and form relationships with those that are similar to you or relate to your products and services.  This is a great way to network, gain support, and show that you are personable.  If you share someone's post they are more likely to share yours.  Building relationships is highly beneficial and can easily build awareness for your business.