You wouldn’t walk outside and head to work without wearing pants, would you? Then why are you ignoring social media when it is such a powerful way to grow your business? Social media platforms allow businesses to connect and engage their clients of the past, present and future. The best part is that the customers want to hear from you—it is permission based marketing—so they are following you to hear what you have to say. Businesses in Tampa are starting to realize that social media is like your morning coffee, and all of the things that you cannot live without! It’s a force to be reckoned with and it cannot be ignored any longer.
As a small business owner you realize that the marketing landscape isn’t as straightforward as it used to be; it’s just like a tornado. All of the various marketing vehicles are fragmented but they complement each other, so it’s important to utilize these tools within your business. Your message should be everywhere that your customers are, so where are they? When you take a look at your customers you’ll realize that they are on social media - meaning that you have to be there, too.
Social media marketing provides a strong ROI, much higher than PPC, mobile applications and even behavioral display advertisements. A 2011 study by Chadwick Martin Bailey found that customers that like your brand on Facebook are 51% more likely to buy and 60% more likely to recommend your product or service to a friend.
You have to realize that this is a process and it will take some hard work and dedication to get a campaign off the ground but believe me, it’s worth it. Set aside some time each day to assemble content for these platforms. Content can be in the form of blog posts, photos, videos and engaging questions, just to name a few. This isn’t going to happen overnight so be patient. It’s going to take a couple of months to build your presence on these platforms and assemble your fans and followers.
As with any new venture there will be growing pains and it’s going to take some time to get the hang of it. You must remember that there is no perfect step-by-step guide for social media because each client base is different and will respond differently to your posts. You must experiment and find the perfect formula for what will work for your business. If you don’t want to hassle with it, outsource your social media to the professionals at Personalized Marketing today!
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Did You Forget Your Pants Again? The Importance of Social Media in Tampa was written by guest blogger, Jayme Pretzloff. Jayme Pretzloff is the Online Marketing Director for a Minneapolis jewelry store. His passions lie within various digital marketing vehicles including SEO and social media. You can follow Jayme on Twitter, @jpretz.
