Forbes caught up with small business expert, Steve Strauss, author of the best-selling Small Business Bible, earlier this year.
In both his book and the interview, he touches on many changes in the world of small business owners, most notably the explosion of social marketing. To put in perspective, Strauss says “The only social network around when I wrote the last installment was MYSPACE.” In terms of the internet and it’s winds of change, that was centuries ago (the last edition came out in 2009). He goes on to argue that the greatest misstep small business owners make, is simply “not using social media.” It is so crucial for entrepreneurs to “not waste one more day not taking advantage of one of the greatest shifts of our generation”.
To say he’s absolutely right, would be an understatement. For any business not to take advantage of social media, is literally throwing away money. Or even worse: throwing it into your competitor’s pockets. We here at Web Strategies can help with that, and of course, Strauss wrote an entire book which you can buy here, and offers 3 helpful tips to get you started.
Choose one social network to start with
Love this one network; Don’t spread yourself too thin, focus on one; Be careful to choose the one that’s best for your business, not your personal favorite
Set realistic goals “Remember that you’re looking for long-term success” ; It takes time to build successful brands; Give yourself about six months to determine whether or not your social media presence is creating an impact on your business.
The 80-20 rule
Post things that are relevant to the lives of your customers; The 80% should be posting about things your supporters have an interest in; The other 20% should be about your brand, your business.
