By Bree Glenn

Social media is an important part of every business’s marketing strategy. For business owners who have yet to jump into the ever-growing, ever-changing sea of social media, it can seem a bit daunting at times.

Eight key tips for using social media for business are…

1. Planning is key. Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” This couldn’t be truer when it comes to social media. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and headaches by planning out your strategy and content and sticking to that plan.
2. Post regularly, post often. The frequency of your posts depends to which social media channel you’re posting. On a fast-paced channel such as Twitter, you’re going to duplicate posts within greater frequency than on Facebook or LinkedIn.
3. Be accurate, be transparent. You know what “they” say… the Internet is forever. So before you post, make sure you have all your facts straight. The last thing you want is to put something untruthful out there. In the event that you do, be transparent about it. Admit your mistake, apologize for it and correct it as soon as possible.
4. Be creative. There are millions of companies using social media to market themselves – including your competitors. Using creative copy and artwork in your posts will make you stand out from the crowd.
5. Know your audience. Knowing your target audience and which social media channels they use will aid you in prioritizing and managing your time. If your target audience isn’t on Facebook, don’t waste your time on Facebook just because it’s the “in” thing at the moment. Go where your audience spends time online, seek them out and start a conversation (or jump into a relevant one that’s already happening).
6. It’s all about give ­and take. Social media is just that – social. It’s not about promoting your company’s products and services 24/7. You want to share useful information as well as sell your wares. It’s all about balancing marketing with conversation.
7. Know you measurement tools and use them. Measurement is how you learn if your social media efforts are working. Are they converting into sales? Website visits? Which brings us to…
8. Know your goal. You can’t measure your efforts, if you don’t know your goal. Do you want to amass a large following? Drive traffic to your website? Increase sales? Whatever your goal is, make sure it’s clear from the beginning. It will dictate your strategy, as well as content.

For more than 25 years, Marx Layne & Company has delivered results-focused communications counsel to a broad spectrum of clients. We have a thorough understanding of digital media and the two-way dialogue it demands, implementing interactive tactics for our clients by leveraging digital capabilities across marketing campaigns. Our social media, digital marketing and communications teams. The Marx Layne approach is specifically tailored to meet the needs of the products, services and brands we represent. We track, measure and optimize the “buzz” that is being generated as part of an effort to respond and engage audiences.