Given the buzz that continues around social media these days, it only makes sense that your company’s marketing plan should involve this medium.

Unfortunately for many small businesses, however, their social media marketing tactics are clinging to life, pushed to the backside by those who are not seeing a clear enough return on investment (ROI) for such efforts.

If you find that your company’s social media marketing plan is in need of a shot of adrenaline in order to boost your brand and reputation, there are tactics you can employ to do just that.

Among them are:

  • Being ready to engage – Similar to a sports game, the team that shows up prepared usually wins. Take a moment to consider if you’ve created a solid plan for using social media marketing effectively. Your business needs to have a mindset focused on being social and sharing information with the public. If your small business tends to be more reserved about this approach, you’re already at a disadvantage;
  • Highlighting the ‘cost’ of social media marketing – Many marketing professionals are told by their managers to stick to a budget, especially during tough economic times. If you’re in marketing, point out that social media marketing has little to no financial cost. Basically, it mainly requires your time and effort to share your message through SMM. It’s crucial to stress this to those controlling the budget, as it enables you to promote your company’s products and/or services affordably;
  • Cross promote – If your company only has a presence on Facebook, what about Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and more? The ability to cross promote your information is critical to reaching various audiences. There are different tools that allow you to update various social media properties at one time. The key here is to make sure the message works on the different social media channels all at once, saving you the time on doing each site individually;
  • Post frequently without spamming – There is a fine line when it comes to posting on different social media venues without becoming a spammer. If you post too often, especially posting the same message several times a day, you’ll lose a percentage of those following you on the different sites. Try to limit such postings to two times a day, preferably early morning and later in the day. In the event you have a company press release or white paper and you want to get it out in front of countless eyes, don’t post it every other hour. Target your posts for key times of the day and certain days of the week when you have a special white paper, infographic, etc. that you want to be seen;
  • Measure metrics – What company head doesn’t like numbers and to over analyze them? One of the issues company leaders oftentimes have with social media marketing is that it can be difficult to measure the ROI on such efforts. Make sure you are obtaining relevant data when it comes to your efforts so that you can show those in charge how such marketing is benefitting your business. With different measuring tools available, take the time to make sure they are in place so you can see where your social media marketing efforts are winning, where they need a little pick me up, and where they need to be redirected from.
  • Leave no stone unturned – Two of the keys to a successful social media marketing campaign are fresh content and solid contact information. When you’re surfing the web and come across a company’s social media page, two of the first things you likely look at are how often it is updated and what contact information is available should you want more details about the business. Unfortunately, too many companies fail to take the time to update both, leading to visitors coming by once and once only. Make the effort to provide fresh marketing content and easy access to contact information a given, not a choice.

When all is said and done, social media marketing is an inexpensive means by which to reach out to both current and prospective consumers. In doing so, you learn what the preferences are of those interested enough to stop by your site, making it all the more easy to sell to them.

What could be easier than that?

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