# Social Media and Business Promotion



## athletics (Jul 11, 2015)

Hi;
How much social media helps in business promotion? Which platform; FB, Twitter, G + or Linkedin works best? what steps one should follow to improve customer engagement?


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## Wilsonss (Aug 11, 2015)

Hi, I know Instagram is very popular too


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## Dom67 (Jul 22, 2015)

Facebook and LinkedIn are two good ones to start with and Instagram as Wilsonss mentioned. If you can find a way to update them simultaneously on a regular basis you will save time and show you are actively looking for customers.


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## rklovestruck (May 1, 2015)

Hello,

Check out Hootsuite. For FREE it allows you to post to multiple platforms (Linked In, Facebook, and Twitter). We have had the best luck with Facebook ad campaigns because you can target an audience.


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## ejtipi (Jul 6, 2015)

I think the key is regularity and own unique content - the platform is in second place ...


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## revboyjames (Apr 14, 2007)

I have had the most success with Facebook and Twitter. Like others mentioned, regular content updates are key. And make sure your posts aren't just ads for your product/services. People hate that. Best to try and share a bit more personal posts that let people know a little more of the inside of your business. The way it works, and about you and your employees. People love a good story. On Twitter specifically, you can engage quickly and often with those you follow and also you can search for people who have posted about things in your industry and reach out to them. 

*Above all social media though is Blogging! I can't stress that enough! I get much, much more traffic and views based on my blog posts, than I do on social media. 

Good luck!


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## nicefile (Nov 3, 2014)

revboyjames said:


> I have had the most success with Facebook and Twitter. Like others mentioned, regular content updates are key. And make sure your posts aren't just ads for your product/services. People hate that. Best to try and share a bit more personal posts that let people know a little more of the inside of your business. The way it works, and about you and your employees. People love a good story. On Twitter specifically, you can engage quickly and often with those you follow and also you can search for people who have posted about things in your industry and reach out to them.
> 
> *Above all social media though is Blogging! I can't stress that enough! I get much, much more traffic and views based on my blog posts, than I do on social media.
> 
> Good luck!


It is great idea.

Facebook added features pixel Facebook, you can use and run facebook ads.


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## anuraggupta (Oct 14, 2015)

yes, You have to focus on these websites


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## Evilspock (Mar 11, 2014)

Every time you turn around it is something new. There is no way to appropriately aggregate your outbound content across platforms. It is very labor intensive to play in all these areas concurrently. Our business by nature is visual, with that in mind start with Tumblr, Pintrest and Facebook. Then Instagram. I say in that order because Instagram can only be posted to from a device, not from a computer, which is tedious at best. Twitter being so "real time" I am still trying to find a positive application for our industry. In a constantly changing landscape there is no map. Experiment, a/b test, vary your times and post frequencies, and content, content, content. Eventually the best social media platform for your unique business and most importantly your clients will make itself known to you. All the best!


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## hoxie (Nov 3, 2012)

Facebook allows you to hone in on exactly who you want to target with your ads, meaning your money is better spent than just blanketing it across a huge demographic. Hootsuite is great for mutiplatform simultaneous posting and you can schedule posts ahead of time. Set it and forget it!


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## Evilspock (Mar 11, 2014)

Here is a good recent census of the SM user base.

Here's how many people check Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram daily (in 2 graphs) | VentureBeat | Business | by Gregory Ferenstein


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## Evilspock (Mar 11, 2014)

Hoot Suite does not post in the SM platforms native format, it cross posts a link. Not good. Unless they changed it.


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## gnizitigid (Jan 23, 2007)

Evilspock said:


> Here is a good recent census of the SM user base.
> 
> Here's how many people check Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram daily (in 2 graphs) | VentureBeat | Business | by Gregory Ferenstein


great share


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## MonsterShop (Aug 18, 2015)

We use the post scheduling facility in Facebook and then use the free version of Hootsuite for Twitter/G+/LinkedIn (because you can only have up to 3 profiles at once). Pinterest we manage separately, it's a fantastic site especially if your business is based around good looking products, basically it's free advertising 

Running competitions with a chance to win free products and discount codes for your website are a great way to generate interest in your social media pages especially on Facebook. 

Also including pictures, videos or links with every post increases engagement dramatically.

Something which has come to light recently on Facebook, if you include links (whether it's to your website or blog or a different site) in your post it reaches less of your followers than if you do the same post but just include the link in the comments section. I guess Facebook don't like people leaving their site - very sneaky but worth knowing if you want to increase engagement!

But to answer your question, for anyone running a business based online, social media is vital! Get your brand on as many (appropriate) social media platforms as possible, but don't just jump on a band wagon such as Instagram or Pinterest if it's not right for your business.


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## mattadlard (Aug 15, 2013)

Social Media is an interesting area and covers so much, though always consider that you will need to look at around 5 hours a week orientated to it. However which is best


> FB, Twitter, G + or Linkedin


 is a strange question and answer in a lot of ways and a complex one, that gathers multiple answers.

Hmm, ok it is also important to consider looking at other options that allow you to maximise time and create synergy between accounts so you can save both time and effort, however even with such tools different social media accounts act differently.

Ok one aspect that needs coverage here and has been touched upon is Hootsuite it allows you to post and send posts over multiple accounts in one place, great app and ca be very useful, use the free option and evaluate. However the paid one is very important and can be used to effectively manage time well, though is you are starting out then money is tight and you might want to consider the free option and self manage your other posting.

(IFTTT dot com) (IF this, then that) this is often overlooked and it is a strange system allowing you to create 'recipes' that do specific things depending on action. So you could create a Twitter app to say thanks 'User' for the follow, plz sign up to our mailing list, short Goo,gl url etc, these type of things. It allows you to set up retweeting/posting thanks, etc with minimal effort for set triggers like #unique or named hashtags or events like times, dates. It also allows for cross posting from one social media to another so post on FB and it copies to Twitter, etc. It has a bit of a learning curve and it ca take time to find things but with a bit of imagination you can do a lot. Ad it is Free..

Instagram - This is a less formal social media place and not sure how best to describe, it is good for organic, fluidic style messaging. It is very informal but also allows you to create community and show what your up-to on a spontaneous style of posting. If your willing to use it as a style of posting diary can be very powerful, and you can post images to it from a PC with apps on a Widows 8/.1/10 pc, or use a tablet with keyboard.

FB - Community, has its advantages if you are looking at creating a community following and want to engage with customers on a personal informal chatroom style basis. If you have a following and or are looking at t-shirts, apparel, boards then this is a good option as you can use loyal customers to be interactors and create a community.

FB -Business page, a must it seems these days and it ca be searched for with Google/Bing/Search engines, keep it professional but friendly. It allows for customer interaction as it can be used to post what is your latest product/design and get feed back. It also allows those that like you to recommend you to friends and family, with the FB interactive like software that offers suggestions.

FB - Paid adverts, from what one has seen from talking with others the level of payback with this is minimal, a point in case is how may times do you honestly look at the adverts on the page edge. Ignore, use social media vouchers instead as they at least are interactive and can be used in creating ways like a social media scavenger hunt over all your social media accounts.

Twitter - in real time social media, this is a very much timed approach or active interactive chat monologue, of what your upto, like just screened X T-Shirts, or just shipped x,y,z to company or customer or thanks x for being the XXX number of customer to buy/sign up for etc. good to interact with other T-shirt designers and it again creates networks that allows you to get shared, and use hashtags and the like that gets you out there.

Google/G+ Ok, this is something of a forgotten social media aspect, however it is useful and is worth looking into, why as it links to all aspects of the Google account, so if you have a GMail email, often useful with starting out, and then use Utube, they all link up and create better searchable links for customers as well as allows Google and such to better catalogue and understand who and what you are. 

Linkedin - Hmm, a site for professionals, and a good place to create professional links like other artists/designers/sellers/buyers/etc. Use it, but use it as a professional aspect just like your CV. It does allow for some lower social media action, but not on such an informal aspect as say FB.

# Hashtags, these are not just to annoy people and a lot of people forget these, you can create hashtags and set up details at hashtags.org, but not needed. Just create with your own name/logo name/ etc, and reuse also look at what competitors use and how they are used. Do not use add-ons that annoy like chocolate sex etc unless the topic/design etc is relevent.

Hope that helps.


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