Use social media

     Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
     to help you better manage your small business.

     You are passing up many opportunities if you are not using social media. The type of small business doesn't matter. Social media can help you grow and expand.

     You can reach out to new clients and customers in your area or across the nation. Facebook, for example, can help you promote who you are and what you do. If you have never used social media for your business, Facebook is perhaps the best place to begin. And it can be free.

     Example: You are a holistic practitioner specializing in Reiki. You write a short blurb on relief from stress and muscle pain and post with a picture that shows hands hovering over an ailing body part. Post it on Facebook to attract attention. Do this two or three times each week--remember that postings have a very short life span. Try also Google+ and LinkedIn.

     Example: You own a restaurant. Get an app so that customers can check out your specials for the day, make a reservation and place their order on their phone on their way to your place. When they arrive, you have their meal ready for them. Post pictures of mouth-watering entrees daily on your Facebook page. 

     Example: You run a pet shop that offers free deliveries locally or you will ship to customers located farther afield. Every day you post a picture showing kittens and puppies, dogs and cats on your Facebook page, along with specials you might be offering. You don't sell pets or even offer them for adoption, but pictures of pets always attract attention. This will cause viewers to pause at your page. That's when they see your specials and might become customers. 

     Example: You are a graphic artist turned photographer. Get your portfolio together and publish it on Amazon as an ebook. Make connections on Facebook, LinkedIn and others--teasing with a picture. If you are looking for a position, grab your Kindle and show your interviewer what you've accomplished using Amazon's technology. 

     Example: You are a landscaper and gardener. Take pictures of gardens you've designed, stone terraces you've built, fish ponds you've installed, hedges you've clipped, even lawns you've maintained. Post on Facebook--a new pictures 2 or 3 times each week. Think ahead of the seasons, and generate interest by potential clients and customers. 

     Using social media is quick, inexpensive (or free), and attract attention to what you do. Expand your circle of clients and customers to expand your business. 

     Never used social media? Go to the websites for Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and others. They want you to participate, and they make it very easy to get involved. You owe it to yourself and your business to do so.