Marketing Your JP Business with Social Media

One of the biggest challenges for small business owners is establishing a clientele. If you run a home-based business, an online business, or a mail-order business, you probably struggle daily with getting word of your business's services out to potential customers. After all, customers can't buy from you if they don't know that you exist!

Did you know that there is a quick and easy way to begin marketing your business, and that it can cost you next to nothing? Social media marketing - using websites like Facebook, Twitter, and other means to gain a following for your business online - has gathered a lot of steam in recent years. It may seem a little intimidating at first, but it is easy to learn and can be a huge benefit to your business! 

Here are some tips for getting your business set up and running in the social media world:

Create Your Accounts

When you start researching social media platforms, you will soon see that there is a nearly endless supply of places that you can list your business. You will probably want to consider starting with a select few, and then branching out to more when you are ready. Right now, using Facebook is highly recommended. In addition, you may want to try:

• Twitter
• Foursquare (for businesses with a physical location).
• Blogging Platforms - Wordpress, Blogger, and Tumblr
• Pinterest – Image based. Great for retail. 
• YouTube – Video – especially great for demonstrating products.
• Facebook
• LinkedIn – Connect with professionals and companies.

When you make your business account, make sure that you fill out all the information you can about your business. Include your address if you have a physical location, include your business hours, and all of your contact information. The key is making it as easy as possible for potential clients to get in contact with you.

Make A Commitment

Once you have chosen the social media platforms you are going to use, you need to make sure that you are logging in often and using the sites to their full potential. For example: you should be posting on Facebook at least a few times a week (if not daily), and do your best to stay on top of any and all comments and private messages you receive. 

Your clients will use this as a way to contact you in some cases. Just as you would reply to an email or return a call, you need to respond to your Facebook and social media communications.

If you need help coming up with content to post on your pages, the internet is definitely your friend. Articles like TopRank's "Optimize Facebook Content for Business" can lead you in the right direction, and will give you ideas on how to keep your fans interested and engaged with your business.

Expand Your Network

When you are working on your business's social media, you should always have two goals in mind: 

• Keep your current clients engaged, and 
• Reach out and find new clients.

No matter what social media networks you have decided to use, there is always a way to get your business's name out to more people. You can run a referral contest, provide quality information that is interesting enough for people to want to share with their friends. Images of your product is one of the best tools you have.

Ask For Help

Last but not least: don't be afraid to ask for help! If you are struggling with your business's online presence, odds are that someone you know is a whiz with this type of website and could give you a hand. Once you understand the basics the rest will likely fall into place - you'll be a social media expert in no time!

Protect Your Business

Remembers, no matter how small your business is, you need insurance protection. Contact your independent insurance agent to discuss what protection you need for your particular situation.