Business gurus and marketers often emphasis the importance of a social media presence for business, whether online or physical. Some even provide formulas, like posting every day or every hour or few hours, depending on the platform. Alongside these formulas are tips on how to engage people, ask questions, share relevant information, be consistent, be real, and the list could go on.
What is Social Media:
Social media is any interactive platform that enables people to connect and share ideas and interests. This definition can include Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest, Linkdin, YouTube, and even blogging. These social media examples can also be referred to as platforms, from which one builds a following while sharing useful, relevant, and timely stuff.
So why would you want to use a social media platform for business? Today, social media is where people virtually gather. In the past, posters or flyers would be put where people gathered. Places like libraries, churches, grocery stores, and post offices. Today, people gather virtually on social media. If your target audience is using social media, then that is where you will need to be to engage them. Simply put, social media is a tool for communication and engagement that will benefit your business when used well.
What Social Media is Not:
A social media platform is not a soapbox to rant about politics, social views, or other things. I would like to emphasis the rant part, since sharing is the emphasis on social media and politics, social views, and religious affiliations are part of people’s lives and will be shared, discussed, and advocated for. Rants however, do no good and usually harms the rant maker.
Another thing is that Social Media, whether a private profile or a business page, is public. Alongside of rants, social media is not a platform to share things you would not want your daughter, son, mother or father to see. Simply because they likely will see it, or someone of a similar demographic may see it.
Back to You:
What social media platforms do you use for your business? Do you think social media adds, subtracts, or multiplies your business opportunities or authority? I would love to hear from you, leave a comment.
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