Social Media Secrets to Market Your Business…

In this age of the Internet explosion, it’s easy to think of social media as a fad, a viral video that will go away in time. A lot of ‘old school’ businesses treat it that way in an attempt to avoid having to learns the in’s and out’s of a new world. The truth is social networking is more of a business reality than ever, and anyone looking to upgrade themselves on an entrepreneurial or small business level should take heed.

Here are a few social media secrets that can help you to market your small business:

Visualize Your Success

Be visual when posting on social media platforms. Studies show that videos and pictures combined are 1,200 percent more likely to be shared than text and link-based messages. You want to post visual content that is relevant to both your brand and your customers – and to do this, you need to incorporate photos through sharing apps like Pinterest and Facebook. Take pictures of your favorite or most loyal customers, snap a photo of an employee crafting one of your products, whatever it may be that will tie your brand and your customers together. Engagement is way more effective in marketing through social media than a sales pitch.

Optimizing your Keywords

When someone uses a search engine to find a website, they type in keywords to describe what they are looking for: “San Diego wedding photographer”, for example. The search engine then comes up with a list of websites that are related to the keywords you search for. You are going to want to optimize your social media posts using the same keywords you would on a traditional website. On Twitter, this can be done by searching for popular hashtags and creating lists in order to follow trends. Facebook posts should often include links to your blogs and web posts using keywords that will generate click-throughs. Remember the keywords you use for your business can make or break the chances of a potential client finding you.

Keep Your Content Fresh

Make sure all social media profiles associated with your company are producing quality content. View each of these profiles as extensions of your SEO (Search Engine Optimization), pages that must be optimized. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google + and, yes, even Myspace all figure into search results. Keep these profiles updated with fresh content and media.

Use Video to bring your message to life!

You should think of apps like Youtube and Vimeo as your business’s own personal TV channel. A customized channel will help build your business’ brand and promote your companies web and social media pages. Create videos that show your expertise, market your products, and connect with customers and future clients. Be sure to optimize your videos with title, description and keyword tags. Remember your video doesn’t have to be a giant production. Quick, simple, and engaging videos are the most effective videos for businesses.