If you spent any time on Facebook during the holidays, you probably saw a few dozen photos of the infamous Elf on the Shelf. Whether the elf and its mischievous adventures inspired you to get your own elf or made you groan, there’s no denying the elf is an example of how social media can […]
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If you spent any time on Facebook during the holidays, you probably saw a few dozen photos of the infamous Elf on the Shelf. Whether the elf and its mischievous adventures inspired you to get your own elf or made you groan, there’s no denying the elf is an example of how social media can benefit a small business.
The elf, the brainchild of Creatively Classic Activities and Books, LLC of Atlanta, Ga., truly has taken on a life of its own on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. That spark of conversation and shared photos is exactly the kind of hype all small businesses should be hoping to generate through their own social-media efforts, says Jay Sumner, Internet-marketing specialist at JS Design in New York Mills.
All through December, people were posting photos of their elves, creating more brand awareness for the company and certainly helping to boost sales, he says. “It’s smart and it’s a great campaign,” he adds.
In a nutshell, that kind of connection should be the ultimate goal for businesses when using social media, Sumner says.
“Everyone’s business is like a snowflake,” he says, and the key to successful social-media interaction is to hone in on what makes your business and your customers unique. Then it comes down to delivering engaging messages on a regular basis.
Through JS Design, which has nearly 17,000 of its own followers, Sumner oversees the Go Camping Facebook page, which has more than 730,000 followers. Go Camping (igocamping.org) is a website devoted to camping and nature enthusiasts.
Social-media sites are a great way to get free advertising, Sumner says, but a company shouldn’t use the sites just to convey facts and information about its business. Companies need to loosen up a little bit and post things that “allow people to like you,” Sumner says.
Farah Jadran, editor of Syracuse Woman Magazine, agrees and says she uses the magazine’s Twitter and Facebook pages to support the community as well as promote the magazine. One post might be a teaser for an article in the upcoming edition, while the next might include a photo of a delicious lunch she had at a local restaurant.
“Social media is just another way of having a conversation,” Jadran says.
Social media is also a valuable tool for a business to gather information, she notes. Readers who follow on social-media sites — the magazine has nearly 2,100 followers each on Facebook and Twitter — often share information on upcoming events or even share ideas for stories on the magazine’s pages, Jadran says.
It all works together, Jadran says, to help push readership of the monthly magazine. Currently, the magazine distributes more than 15,000 copies each month.
That type of proactive approach is key to social-media marketing, Sumner says. Small businesses need to do more than just have a Facebook or Twitter page, he says. They need to outline a strategy for how they will use that page and make sure the administrator of those pages is aware what is okay and not okay to post, he adds.
Companies should also have a plan in place outlining how to handle negative posts from followers, Sumner says.
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