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12 Tips for the Social Media Newbie

Guest post by: Jessica Swanson

Article Overview: Many small business owners are silently watching social media marketing from the sidelines. They’re intrigued, interested and attracted by this new marketing channel, but don’t feel quite ready to join in on the game. But, no worries. Here are twelve simple tips to help get your social media marketing in top form.

12 Tips for the Social Media Newbie

Many small business owners are silently watching social media marketing from the sidelines. They're intrigued, interested and attracted by this new marketing channel, but don't feel quite ready to join in on the game. But, no worries. Here are twelve simple tips to help get your social media marketing in top form.

1. It's not too late. Many small business owners think they've missed the boat when it comes to jumping on the social media bandwagon. But, nothing could be further from the truth. Social media is in its infancy and still considered a newborn in the marketing world.

2. Have a plan. You certainly wouldn't jump into a new business without a plan of action. The same is true for social media marketing. You should know exactly what you are trying to accomplish before you get involved.

3. Start slow. There are hundreds of social media platforms out there. But, limit your involvement to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Once you've mastered these three, then you can broaden your horizons.

4. Be realistic with the time-commitment. If you're going to fully succeed through social media marketing, then you're going to have to commit some time and energy to making it work. As with all new marketing adventures, it always takes longer in the beginning.

5. Use automation. There are dozens of automation tools to help you manage your time on social media. Use them wisely and in moderation.

6. Get personal. Don't rely entirely on automated tools. You need to interact with your friends, followers and connections. Social media doesn't work if you aren't interested in forming real relationships.

7. Don't outsource from the start. Although eventually you can outsource some of the tedious social media tasks, it's in your best interest to be personally involved in every aspect of social media so that you can understand exactly how it works. Then, once you have wrapped your brain around it, you can outsource.

8. Don't expect a miracle. Social media is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. It's never going to fix a broken business.

9. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. There's not a "rule book" for social media success. Go ahead and get started, if you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world.

10. Don't overcomplicate. Social media is mostly a mixture of common sense, interaction and dedication. Don't make it more complicated than it is.

11. Have fun. At the end of the day, social media is, well, social. So, wipe that frown off your face and have a little fun Tweeting, updating and posting.

12. Just do it. The most important tip of all is to just get started. You're never going to learn to swim if you don't jump in the pool.

There's still plenty of time to get involved in social media marketing for your small business. Once you get started and find success, you'll never look back.

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Article Tags: shoestring marketing, small business marketing, social media marketing



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Re: Kevin needs "social glue" ideas - [quote="WebBizIdeas.com":gvtxsu7g]Hi, I like the idea of "10 items that could act as "social glue" because I am an internet marketer. But I agree with the rest that the 10 recent post is nice. Maybe we should open up a new section in the forums on Social Media...or Social Media Marketing. I will tell you that the world is about 1 1/2 behind when it comes to understanding social media. Building a section now will put EvanCarmichael.com is a great position a year down the road when people realize Social Media can produce more traffic than SEO. Jeff[/quote:gvtxsu7g] Hi Jeff, Thanks for the suggestion. Why don't you start a new post (with a poll) to see if there's enough interest in your idea for a social media section?
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