3-easy steps: How your small business can leverage social media –

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding social media these days. It seems as though everyone wants a piece of the action – and for good reason. Marketers who leverage social media experience a dramatic correlation between the use of social media channels and the growth of the company’s web traffic and leads.

But, let’s first bust the myth behind social media.  To a great many of you, social media is defined as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc. While this is a component of social media, it doesn’t accurately portray the entire picture. As HubSpot’s marketer in residence, David Meerman Scott tells us the emphasis should be placed on the word “social,” which in reality means sharing. And, the best small business use of social media is to create things that are worth sharing. 

How can a small business leverage social media and create things that are worth sharing? As an Inbound marketing agency, it’s a question that we encounter quite frequently. If you’re new to this, not to worry, it really isn't that difficult to get started. Follow these 3-steps and get your brand and message out there. 

3-easy steps: How your small business
can leverage social media -

Step #1: Launch a blog –

We’ve spoken a lot about content and how important it is to the success of your Inbound marketing plan. Keep the content flowing and you’re on your way to increased traffic and leads. But be sure that the content you’re offering is worthy enough to be shared. To learn more about “what’s worthy,” read our blog from September 9, 2011. Don’t just stop at writing content for your blog. Content comes in a variety of formats, ranging from a video series and webinars to text-based content like ebooks and white papers.

Step #2: Tweet the heck out of it –

You’ve created some remarkable content, now’s the time to let everyone know it exists. Twitter is an excellent extension to your business website and a great place to start. If you haven’t set up a Twitter account, go here, it takes only a few minutes. Your blog posts can be auto-fed to your Twitter account every time you’ve posted a new article making it easy to keep all your followers aware of your amazing content. Twitter also allows you to post shorter, more frequent updates to your niche audience. To learn how to use Twitter, you can download a copy of our Twitter step-by-step eBook here.

Step #3: Promote your social media channels everywhere –

Providing links to your social media channels will encourage prospects and customers to participate and follow. Place links to your blog post and Twitter feed where you have the opportunity – from your home page to your email signature to offline collateral material. Every page on your website is an opportunity to market your company and the great, remarkable content that it provides.

If your small business is just getting started with social media, these 3-steps will at least help you get your feet wet. Now it’s your turn. If you have any further suggestions or comments we’d love to hear from you.

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WhiteSpace is a Toronto Inbound marketing agency that helps small business grow with winning design and marketing, from website redesign and graphic design, to branding,  social media marketing, and  online marketing strategies . Call for a free no-obligation website consultation – 416-449-9559.