Today, if your business isn’t on Social Media, you don’t have a business. Almost everyone is on social media, so that is where your customers are. It’s a crucial and simple way to have an ongoing presence in the lives of your target market, who can quickly and easily turn into paying customers. Being involved in social media as a business requires more than just a Facebook business page with your office hours and address with a couple blog posts in the thread. It requires several things that all include active involvement, deliberate planning and personal online presence. Here are some basic tips for using social media to boost your business.

Be consistent in your branding. Have a logo, color scheme, and presence that goes through all your marketing materials – including your social media. The longer you have a predictable online presence that communicates your company’s vision, the more brand recognition you will have in the eyes of your target market. This is simple to do and it will speak to your target market.

Participate in conversations. Your clients and customers are engaging you when they participate in discussions. Be accessible to them. Don’t simply post an article and disappear for a week. In our age of regular disconnection from human interaction, the ability to quickly and easily access personal connection through social media is an incredible tool for the business owner. To the customer, knowing that a business owner is personal, involved, and accessible gives you and your business tremendous credibility. When they feel like they know you, they buy into your business. The fundamentals of doing business have not changed. Especially with small business, people buy into people before they buy into things. Be accessible.

Offer contests and rewards. On social media, your target market is right at your fingertips. They want what you have. For instance, regular contests and prizes that involve liking and sharing give your business exposure to an exponentially higher number of people than just your immediate sphere of influence. Social media contests and prizes not only appeal to your immediate market, but they easily reach into their circle of friends, and their circle of friends and so on. A “like and a share” is as good as an old fashioned personal recommendation these days.

Join local groups. If you are a local business, be active in your local groups. Most cities and towns have community groups. These can be related to your business or simply a way to connect with neighbors. Either way, you develop a reputation for being the local expert in your field when you stay in touch with these connection groups. For instance, someone may ask a local group “can anyone recommend a good house cleaner?” When you are known by the online community as a house cleaner, not only will you get recommendations from previous customers, but you will also get recommendations from people who have only heard of you via social media. This is in and of itself a form of marketing.

Don’t give up. Marketing is a lot of work, regardless of how you are doing it. It takes months and years to develop brand awareness. It can feel like tedious work that isn’t producing results right away. Keep at it. It pays off eventually with consistent work.