Danielle MacInnis chats with Lee Hopkins about how to successfully use social media marketing to leverage small businesses.
Lee Hopkins has been blogging for 15 years and has successfully used social media marketing to leverage his small business.
Key takeaways from my interview are:
1. Start with Twitter. It is easy to get your social media feet wet here.
2. Create a Facebook page it’s a simple thing to do and allows you to enter into conversation with others.
3. Recognise the difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook Fan Page (for business) Visit Mari Smith for great Fan Page set up tips or my how too video links on my website for more info.
4. Give quality information that is of good value and you will have people coming back for more, Some large corporation use the social media channels as “blast channels”. This is not effective. Be real, be authentic.
5. Spend time listening first. Understand your competitors, observe what people are doing in your world before establishing your own presence.
6. As the owner of the business, you need to tell your story. Only you can speak with passion, authenticity and authority about your business. This helps you to connect with others including potential customers and partners.
7. Make your contact form personalised. Have the names and photos of your staff and give your site some context and build relationships between your staff and potential customers.
8. Play to the strengths of the individual when picking social mediums. There are all different channels to get your messages out there and to brand yourself.
9. You have to make a strategic decision of which social media channel to choose and how often to contribute to this medium.
10. Set your Facebook profile up for business.
Step 1 You need a Fan Page. Step 2. You need to get 25 likes to own your own Fan page. 3. Step Advertise to get likes or promote for a very low cost and Facebook ads are very targeted.
11. Facebook is great for advertising your small business at a very low cost. It gives you pin point targeting around demographics, interests and location information.
12. Traffic Grab is a great education tool from James Schramko
13. Put a ‘How we work with you’ or ‘This is how we do it here’ on your website.
Duration: 37 minutes
To learn more about Lee and his insights into social media and consumer behaviour visit his website at http://leehopkins.com/ or follow him on twitter.
