• Write a short biography for your profile, including any experience related to the products or service you are marketing, and a link to your website.• Using social media for search engine optimisation: Search engine optimisation means getting to the top of Google searches, and Google wants brands. You need to become an authority in your space. Add great content to your site, build up and engage with social followers, focus on what you do well and become an expert in that field. Get links to your site from other authoritative websites in your space and work on becoming an authority in your space on social media.• Try and generate interest in your brand organically before you go down the advertising route: Consumers to have a general fascination with the workings of companies, and social networks are a great place for you to bring your brand alive and create loyal advocates.Try running competitions on Facebook or Twitter encouraging people to share or retweet your content. Ask questions that will provoke a reaction from your followers. Post funny pictures or stories - anything relevant to your business that people will like to engage in.• Think about which social networks your customers and prospects are using: You may not have the time to setup and manage profiles across every network, so choose those most likely to get you in front of as many of your target audience as possible. Think also about how you will use each channel. Facebook is great for posting rich content like pictures and videos. Twitter is a great way to ‘be social’and conversational. It is a soft sell, so, do not go in with a hard sell until you have established rapport.• Make your site easy to use: While it might be tempting to have a cutting-edge website, don’t forget the basics. You will fail if a visitor cannot navigate successfully through your site. Provide clear, easy-to-understand navigational tools on each page of your site. Make it easy for a visitor to find your contact information on every page.• Provide useful content: Do not just sell! These days, it is not enough to have a website that lists your products and provides a shopping cart for purchases. If you want your visitors to return, you will want to provide meaningful content. A CPA’s site could publish tax tips. A catering service could offer articles on how to host a successful party.• Encourage customer feedback via online forms and e-mail: Pay attention to the valuable information your customers can give you. • Develop a mailing list: Consumers resent junk e-mail, also called ‘spam.’ A far more appealing strategy is to develop a mailing list. Invite your customers to ‘opt in’ to receive a newsletter or notices of specials running at your business. Make this information relevant and useful for your customer. Consider providing a “coupon” that will give them a discount on their next purchase. Always give the recipient an easy means to ‘’opt out’ of receiving future e-mails.
