2019   

40 Ways Social Media Works for Small Business

Thomas Reich, PhD Technology 0

Having a Great Social Media Network and making it Work for Your Business

By Thomas R. Reich PhD

Why do Businesses Fail?

1. Not enough people know they exist, little or no social media networking
2. They did not do enough to get the word out
3. Did not work hard enough for brand recognition
4. Did not remind the customer daily through social media why the business matters

A successful business must have a daily promotion habit, do at least one of the following each day:

1. Write or post a new blog
2. Tweet a timely question
3. Do a radio interview
4. Do a webcast
5. Post on LinkedIn
6. Write a letter to the editor
7. Link and share pictures on Facebook page
8. Do at least one thing that will publicize your product each day through social media networking

Other things to do on a regular basis:

1. Contact 5 people a day that could help you publicize your product
2. Give the social media network a hook to use to grab their audience (in the end you and your product do not matter to that media outlet, to the organization giving you the publicity, it’s how   you can add interest to their show or blog, even their tweet stream, remember this!)
3. Research what various factions of the social media network can put in their heading or intro;
   “Coming up________” that will help their audience to stay tuned in or check back.  What about you or your product would cause this reaction think of catchy phrases, make it easy to           promote you or your product.
4. Again, you need to come up with hooks, what makes this social media network member or blogger or interviewer’s audience tune in to his or her show or blog.  If it pushes you or your product at the same time, that makes it a win win, that is what we are looking for!
5. Hook = “Could you go to jail for linking the wrong website?” or “have you checked your FaceBook picture for malware, XYZ co knows why you should” or “Is your health drink, healthy?”

5 Ways to Create a Hook for the Social Media Network

First: create interest

1. How to do; “How do you Tweet a Question?”
2. Counter a Myth; “Parents want a quick fix to poor study habits-could drugs be the wrong answer?”
3. Make a prediction; “Why the US will soon experience dramatic food shortages” –or—“Why food prices will continue to rise”
4. Ask a Question, “Can you give the media a question they can use?” or “What are cats thinking?”
5. Give them a timely hook, a reason they need to have information about your product now; Tax advice at tax time, new business start up advice in January, new kind of tomato plant in the spring

Create an effective publicity plan

1. Who is your core audience
2. What does that core audience read or watch
3. When will your topic be timely; time of year, anniversary, create a holiday around your product, look in the book Chase’s Calendar of Events for listing of 10,000 holidays
4. Is there a predictable news event that can be spun to your product and sent to the social media network, release of a movie, elections, release of monthly employment figures or farm reports

Avoid the “I’ll wait till it comes out to publicize the product” approach

1. When a new or updated product is released, the publicity must already be in place, The Social Media Network; Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn announcements kicking for weeks before the product hits the street.
2. Again do interviews blogs and email blasts, and consistent social media network exposure before the release date as well, to create anticipation of the new or improved product.
3. Listen to your core interest group, you may find improvements or hooks you never thought of before the product even comes out.

You want the influential bloggers

Get publicity and exposure on blogs that reach your core audience, not just your personal blog. The top 500 bloggers sites have over 100,000 visits per month, this is a resource you need to tap into!

Main ways to get valuable coverage on blogs:

1. Offer to write an article, this is called a “guest Post” free.
2. Offer the blogger the opportunity to interview you
3. Offer the blogger mention or a posting on your blog
4. Offer the blogger a free product so they can review it
5. Offer to run a free advice column in their blog
6. Offer copies of your product as prizes

Find blogs that get a lot of traffic

1. Give them timely hooks
2. Always get a plug in return for the appearance
3. www.technorati.com to find blogs to contact in your field

You Need a YouTube Strategy

You must have a strategy, YouTube should part of any social media networking plan

1. What could your core audience be looking for?
2. How can you set up your video so your core audience can find you?
3. Video must be no longer than 2 min.
4. Better to have 40 videos, each 90 second tips than to have 6 videos, each 15 min speeches.

The YouTube videos should contain:

1. Hi I am _____________
2. I am important to you because _______________
3. Here is what we are doing for you
4. End with find me here and follow me on twitter
5. Ask for a response from them through your social media network