"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." "The ...

SOCIAL MEDIA
Intro to Social Media for Business – Get Acquainted
By Jessica Guida
Social media channels and all they have to offer are
becoming essential tools for businesses to leverage.
From connecting with customers on the consumer level
to networking with influential individuals in one’s industry,
social media sites are giving businesses the power to engage
like never before. Both small and large businesses alike,
are taking advantage of the benefits that social media
powerhouse sites, like Facebook and Twitter, provide.
Benefits like, cost effective marketing, worldwide reach,
and the ability to connect with almost anyone with
a simple click.
For those reasons above and many more, social media
is becoming a business’ best friend. Have you and social
media been acquainted yet? No? Let me introduce you
to Facebook and Twitter!
I’d Like You to Meet:
Facebook
Engage with over 500 million potential
customers (which includes many of your
current customers) on Facebook, as they
stay in touch with friends, upload an unlimited number of
photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the
people they meet everyday. Here’s how to get started:
Create a ‘Personal Profile’ for yourself, a.k.a. The Business
Owner (using your name, not the name of your business).
Doing this step will allow you to “friend” all of your current
contacts, in an effort to suggest your “Official Page” to
them in the future. Go to Facebook.com and fill out the
“Sign Up” form.
Set up an ‘Official Page’ for your business. (http://www.
facebook.com/pages/create.php) This is where you will use
the name of your business. An “Official Page” on Facebook is
similar to a mini website, where one can describe their
business, post news, etc.
Get people to ‘Like’ your page. Reach out to friends,
employees, and colleagues, using the personal profile you
set up plus other methods like e-mail, to create an initial base
of ‘Likes’.
12 PARTNERS Summer 2011