Social media for business is more and more common, sadly many entrepreneurs still don’t quite understand how to reach a targeted audience with the use of social media.

Social media for business: top 2017 tips for success

Social Media can have a significant positive impact on your business’s success. I invite you to use the following tips this year to reach an audience like never before.

1. Focus on your email list

It’s not the first time that you are told to build an e-mail list.

I will say this, if you don’t start this year, next year you’ll tell yourself you wish you had started earlier.

When it comes to building email lists the first thing I typically hear from clients is that they worry that their emails will be seen as spam or junk.

Here’s is what I have to say about this.

Offer value in your emails, never attempt to sell a product.

By providing valuable content that your audience wants to read and share, you’ll be a powerhouse in your industry and will see a boomerang effect from your email campaigns.

A boomerang effect is when your audience keeps returning to you, visiting your website and reaching out for advice as a result of offering great value.

Invite your following from all of your social media platforms to sign up for your e-mail list.

Include the link in your Instagram bio, share it on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and even host a contest or giveaway for new subscribers.

Having an email list is an integral part of social media for business. Always end your emails with a call-to-action.

Invite them to ask a question, provide feedback or sign up for an offer. Be sure to keep track of your email sign up on a consistent basis.

2. Research your hashtags

If you use platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter you’ve probably been hearing more and more about hashtags.

Hashtags are keywords that help you rank higher in relevant searches when people search for these specific keywords on various social media platforms.

Understanding your audience will help you choose better-targeted hashtags for all of your platforms.

For educational purposes we will say that you own a health and fitness studio, you probably would want to use hashtags relevant to health and fitness such as #healthylifestyle #2017healthgoals #fitnessjourney. But how do you reach beyond that?

It’s time to think outside the box!

The first thing you should ask yourself is “who” is my ideal client, followed by “why” they are your ideal client.

Remember that you should define your audience, one of the worst business mistake is not having a set target.

For the purpose of this example, we’ll say that you have decided that your studio will focus on attracting expecting mothers as well as new mums.

Now, this should make it easier for you to research relevant hashtags. You could use tags such as #momtobe #newmom #momlife and so on.

At the end of the day, what is important is ensuring that you are targeting who you want as a client and not necessarily use a hashtag just because it contains keywords relevant to the industry.

3. Social media for business interactions

Social media interactions are an important part of your business.

Clients aren’t always looking for answers by phoning a customer service number found on your website.

Customers want quick and efficient answers. Some companies may not think that responding to a Twitter or Instagram comment is relevant to their business, wrong!

Comments on social media are just as important as any inquiries received by any other means of communications.

That comment could be a simple inquiry, or it could be a future sale. Who would want to miss out on that opportunity, right?

So whom within your organisation should respond to social media comments?

It can be anyone between a marketing specialist to an organisation representative.How often should your employee respond to comments?

The guideline should be the same as the one hopefully already in place regarding general inquiries you receive.

With social media, the faster you respond, the better. The world is watching and not responding can have a very negative impact.

4. Start networking

There is no better way to grow your following, mailing list and attract potential clients than the old fashioned way: networking.

Encourage your team to attend local events. Ensure that all of your staff carries your company business card. You never know who you will possibly meet at a networking event.

A great networking tip, start hosting networking events in your office to introduce your company to other industry leaders.

Share these events on social media and share photos of the event on your various social media platforms.

Start-ups should host at least one networking event in their office every month.

Networking events are great opportunities for some looking to have an informal meeting with you and find out more about who you are and what you do.

Social media for business is critical here because two of the fastest ways to advertise your event is social media and word-of-mouth.

5. Take risks

Yeah, okay! I am sure some of you think this is pretty obvious. Just as obvious as it is, it’s often quickly forgotten.

We live in a world filled with knowledge, and we sometimes follow set guidelines and best practices.

Even if your social media campaign idea isn’t traditional, or not something you usually see, go for it. If it feels right, it must be.

Taking risks is part of every business’s success and failures, and most entrepreneurs will agree that failures are learning opportunities that bring you closer to success.

Now take these social media for business tips and enjoy the new found success you are about to see. Leave your opinion in the comments below.

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