Think you can do without social media as part of your marketing plan? It used to be that all you needed was the yellow pages and customers would find you. No longer. People, and potential customers may be talking about you online, and you aren’t even aware of it. The current business must be a part of the dialog, engaging with potential and current customers and influencing the perception of their brand.
Today small business owners are struggling with a bad economy, declining sales, and not enough staff to get the job done. Marketing for small business often takes a back seat – just when it’s needed most! Social media adoption by small businesses doubled during the last year, from 12% to 24%. And among those, nearly half anticipate it will be profitable within the next 12 months, according to the Small Business Success Index. However, most small business owners do not know where to begin. They need a road map with best practices to ensure that their online efforts deliver positive results versus creating a distraction from their core business.
One of NextMark clients, Elymedia is hosting a five-part tele-series on the topic of using social media for the small business. The content is educational and actionable, and the curriculum is designed to help small business owners leverage social media marketing to increase awareness, traffic, and sales. Here’s a summary of the topics covered:
Lesson 1: Overview of Social Media and a Deep Dive into Twitter for Business.
Lesson 2: The Powerhouse of LinkedIn.
Lesson 3: Think Facebook is just for friends? – How to best use for business.
Lesson 4: Local Social is not just the online version of the Yellow Pages – Yelp, Google Local Business Center, Yahoo City Guide and much more.
Visit http://www.elymedia.com/freeclass.html to sign up for a free introductory session.
For more information, email Elyse Tager at elyse@elymedia.com.
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