Now that you’ve established your presence on the free one time set-up online channels, you can think about new ways to spread the word. The channels I’ll recommend today are still free, but they do require a more significant time investment. Yes, I’m referring to social media. There is often hesitation to dive into the unknown world of social media, but, for the right business, these channels are actually fairly easy to manage and they offer you the chance to engage in ongoing conversations with customers.
Are you the right business for social media? Think about where customers interact online with your business and try to match their actions: Do they comment on your business? Do they buy directly online? Do you want to invite traffic to a physical store? Once you consider your business model, prioritize the following tools according to where your customers engage online.
Be a social butterfly. The two most prevalent options for social interactions are Twitter and Facebook. These two channels are great for businesses with rapidly changing products or services. They are also terrific for business models built on community engagement.
With Twitter, you can build an online community and regularly connect with your customers.
One of my favorite examples of this is Teaspiller.com, an online tool for finding the best accountants. Teaspiller’s founder Amit Vemuri searches Twitter for people requesting accountant recommendations -- and he sends tweets and messages to help these people find solutions on his site. Amit also regularly posts seasonal updates, such as tax time, to inform customers on deadlines and resources. You can read more about Twitter for small businesses here. You can similarly engage with customers by creating a Facebook page for your business.
While Amit focuses on online customer acquisition and seasonal updates, there are other ways to use these channels. If you have a brick and mortar location, you can post daily deals and coupons to encourage people to visit your store or restaurant. These instant feedback channels are also phenomenal for promoting events and asking customers for feedback. Be warned that you will get feedback whether you ask for it or not and the key with these channels is to respond quickly and transparently.
A Picture is worth a thousand words! If your business is highly visual, then YouTube is your channel. Let’s say you remodel kitchens or sell hand-crafted furniture -- isn’t it easier to show potential customers than tell them about your great work?
I recommend creating a free YouTube Channel to upload video footage of your product or service. I’ve learned a lot from Airbnb, an online homesharing and travel resource. They created a YouTube Channel to demonstrate their unique program and to showcase some of the fantastic travel options. The idea of staying in someone else’s home while on vacation is definitely a new concept -- but I was sold after I “virtually” met the hosts of a beautiful home in Spain!
If you can commit to updating and engaging on Twitter or Facebook just once a day or to uploading new content to YouTube just once a week, you’ll be off to a good start! These services are great ‘word of mouth’ platforms -- customers following you are likely to tell their friends about your business. Coming up next week: A first look at paid online advertising.
