If social media isn’t yet one of the pillars of your marketing strategy, it’s time to make sure you incorporate it in 2014. Why? Because social media is here to stay and has become a marketing/communications mainstay for businesses large and small, in every sector.
For small businesses, social media marketing offers some distinct advantages. It’s no- (or low-) cost. In most cases, it’s easy. It allows you to connect with customers in ways you never could before. It’s interactive, giving you customer research you’ve never had before. For all these reasons, it’s helped level the playing field between big companies and small businesses. It allows you to compete in ways you never could before.
In the last year or two, small businesses have flocked to social media marketing in droves. Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube are favorites among small business owners, but Instagram and Pinterest have gained serious ground among the small business crowd. And location-based channels like FourSquare and Yelp have become staples for legions of small businesses.
But as social media channels and apps proliferate, how can you make sure that 2014’s strategy is moving you forward? There are ways to up your social media game, says contributor Elizabeth Kent on Social Media Today. She outlines four ways to improve your social media marketing strategy in 2014 based on trends that emerged over the course of 2013:
Social Media Examiner (SME) calls itself “your guide to the social media jungle.” And a jungle it’s truly becoming, for sure, with so many new and different options. After all, SME says, big companies have teams of people to figure out this social media marketing stuff! Small businesses, on the other hand, need to master tools and shortcuts to be able to navigate the choices and to leverage social media to its full effectiveness.
To that end, contributor Ian Cleary offers 45 social media tools and tips to improve your marketing. Admittedly, the list is a little overwhelming at first glance. But as Cleary says, using some of these tips to strategically choose your tools will help you get the most out of your social media marketing. So pour yourself a cup of coffee, and take your time going through this list. It’s well worth your time, and will help you launch 2014 with a bang!
Image courtesy of Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net