HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN YOUR OFFLINE BUSINESS
HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN YOUR OFFLINE BUSINESS
All business owners today should have some type of social media presence online. Even a local flower shop or bakery can benefit from having a Facebook, Google+ page or a Twitter account. Running Promotions via Social Media The great thing about social media is that it operates in real time. Once you write your post it displays on your timeline immediately. This means that you can create promotions that are tailored to your audience. Let's take our bakery from above, for example. The dinner hour is approaching and you have loaves of fresh bread still available. Just as people are getting ready to head home and think about dinner, you can post a special offer or a reminder to stop by your bakery. Most people today are always connected to the internet and check messages regularly. By posting at the right time of day you can plant suggestions and solutions that will have customers running to your store. This method works extremely well on Twitter as well. Offering Coupons and Special Discounts If you are running a special offer you can post this on your Facebook page and reach your audience without having to physically mail anything out. You can just imagine how much money you could save here! You could even create a weekly or monthly coupon, you could post a new code each month. Then those people who visit your page regularly and leave comments would get access to the code. In return they would receive a small free gift or a discount off of their next purchase. Customer Interaction Getting your customers involved in social media is a great way to build up customer loyalty. Depending upon your business you can get customers to add photos of how they used one of your products. Or they could just post about a local event that is going on. You could also ask them to leave product or service reviews as well. This is a great way to get references and testimonials that will help grow your business. Remember that social media is all about sharing. As a small business owner you want to promote your customers and other local businesses on your page. For example if a customer is looking for a product that you don't have, then suggest another local retailer that may have the item. The customer and the other business owner will both appreciate your efforts. In the future they may both recommend your business to their friends and associates. Don't overlook how powerful social media can be. People love sharing their photos and stories. Try to turn your pages into a bee hive of local activity for your community.
EKOMARKET HUB TEAM
