If you are busily running a small business, you might think that you don't have the energy to deal with social media. Rather than thinking that they're not worth your time, it's important to understand that a large percentage of your potential buyers might be using those very sites to make decisions about purchases every day. Depending on your service or product, you might really be doing yourself a disservice by neglecting to incorporate your social media accounts into your digital marketing strategy. Here are some ways you can determine if social media is worth your time as a business owner, as well as some tips on making the most of the limited time you do have.

Check the demographics of your ideal buyer.

Whether a concentration on social media makes sense for you depends a lot on who you are marketing your product toward. For example, if you specialize in selling a product geared toward senior citizens, you might find that your Facebook profile is less relevant to your marketing strategy than if you specialize in a product geared toward young mothers. Similarly, if you are primarily marketing to men, you might have less luck setting up a Pinterest account than you would if you were primarily trying to attract women to your product.

The reason for this is that each type of digital marketing has a typical user. While there is a lot of overlap, the general trend is that younger adults tend to use social media sites like Facebook. Pew Research reports that while 82 percent of online adults under 30 use Facebook, less than half of online adults over 65 use the site. Similarly, 44 percent of online women use Pinterest, but among men, only 16 percent have accounts. This information can help you make good decisions as to where you should concentrate your time and efforts.

Brush up on how to use the sites.

Different social media sites have different uses, so it's important to understand how each one should work. This will help you avoid annoying your followers and losing them. The point is to find, gain, and maintain customers. Some ways that you can incite interest and avoid pitfalls include:

  • Keeping it non-controversial. On your business page, do not get involved with posting or responding to posts related to politics or religion, unless your service or product is relevant to these topics. Don't risk alienating your customers by proclaiming yourself as affiliated with one particular political party; save that for your personal page.
  • Posting with the right frequency. If you only post once per week, your potential buyers are likely to forget about you in between posts. If you're posting several times per day, choose the right platform for it. For example, Twitter is conducive to short, frequent posts.
  • Making your posts interesting and varied. Posting the same thing or in the same style each time gets repetitive quickly. Branch out a bit; include images, links to websites other than your own, and an occasional just-for-fun meme or question.
  • Interacting with your followers. No one likes to be ignored. Answer questions, show your appreciation for comments left by others, and keep up with conversations.

Keeping up with your online presence through social media is a great way to attract buyers and boost people's confidence in your brand. Social media is an important part of most businesses' digital marketing strategies; if you don't have the time to keep up with this facet of marketing, find a professional marketer who can handle this for you. These services can ultimately help you know how to find buyers online. 

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