In the infancy of social media, MySpace and Facebook served similar purposes for most ? to connect with current and long-lost friends. Today, social media platforms still serve this purpose, but have grown exponentially to function differently.
With an ever-evolving network, small businesses need to be able to distinguish between each social media platform, and recognize the capabilities of each one.
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For instance, LinkedIn and Instagram are two platforms within the social media network that operate and are capable of completely different things.
Linking In With the World
Famous for its reputation as a networking site for recruiters and those seeking employment, LinkedIn is now branching out as a resource for small businesses and news groups alike. Jason Keith, author of The Small Business Blog credits LinkedIn as ?The World?s Largest Networking Event.?
Keith credits LinkedIn?s ?bread and butter? as a way for small businesses to learn from one another. Keith spoke with LinkedIn?s Krista Canfield who revealed:
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?[LinkedIn is] a great way to find other small business owners who may be facing the same problems you are. Members shouldn?t be afraid to reach out, but you should be personal and do your research to make sure you?ve got the right person. Reference things that can demonstrate you looked them up and make you stand out. The worst thing that can happen is someone doesn?t get back to you.?
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LinkedIn offers various features to enable remote networking between small businesses, but one feature especially stands out. LinkedIn?Groups allow small businesses to have a continuous, active discussion within themselves.
Encourage active discussion to attract more Group members
Of course, the feature still requires a degree of active networking in order to populate a Group, but it encourages constant activity to attract more members.
It goes without saying that people will be more attracted to Groups with a few thousand discussions a month. Your small business may never reach this point, but at the very least you have the ability to join a very active group and strive to be an influencer within it.While LinkedIn is a platform in which small businesses can grow professionally, other social media platforms incite creativity from small business owners.
Creative Networking with Customers
Small Businesses can move beyond the basic tools to network with fans, and gravitate toward something more creative. Free People, a contemporary women?s fashion label owned by Urban Outfitters, is utilizing Instagram as a way to excite and entice current and prospective customers.
By using product hashtags to a selection of denim items, customers can upload pictures of themselves wearing the product to Twitter and/or Instagram. Select products in turn, have attached cards to remind customers to upload pictures of themselves using hashtags like #myfpdenim. The result ? customers in-store have an incentive to purchase the denim for a chance to be on Free People?s website; customers online cultivate a sense of product loyalty should they see themselves on the website.
Small businesses can use unique ideas like Free People?s Instagram campaign to grow a community of loyal customers who would be more inclined to share your business with others. Make your customers feel like their patronage matters, rather than leave them with a simple point-of-sale experience.
Conclusion
The social media network at its infancy was a way for the younger generation to connect with one another. Keep in mind that this infancy was more than ten years ago, and the aforementioned generation now has more purchasing power than it ever did. Additionally, social media has also grown with this generation, and has branched out to specialized methods of networking.
Every social media platform serves its own purpose, and as a small business, you have to determine which tool is more appropriate for your business. Utilize each platform properly, and you?ll have a better chance at thriving in today?s social media network.
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