How to boost businesses through social media

Gradually, but steadily, the adoption of social media as a means of communicating ideas, thoughts and what have you, seem to be growing faster than anticipated.

It is a fact that while some use it for horrendous and criminal activities, there is evidence that many people have benefited and continue to benefit from the good side of social media.

In marketing and advertising, some social media platforms have proven to be excellent avenues for many people and businesses and it is against this background and others that the trade minister asked businesses in the country to explore that to make their products and services known to a broader audience.

How, though, can you make the most of social media? And what should a small business do now that Facebook is giving increasing visibility to, as it calls them, 'suggested posts?'

These are, in truth, 'suggested' only because a business has chosen to pay for them to be, but either way many firms fear that their own pages are being squeezed out by paid content.

The answer, for many companies, is that paying is the only option. Facebook and Twitter are designed to be free for users but not necessarily   free advertising platforms.

For both businesses, the mobile phone is ever more important. These small screens are how most mobile users will encounter Facebook and Twitter, which makes them pivotal tools for a small business.

With the larger amount of information offered by mobile phones, any company can advertise specifically to potential customers in their local area and can also very easily tailor offers to entice specific target audience.

On a mobile screen, the power of an advertisement done well is much more palpable. That makes mobile advertising more important than ever, but it also makes quality very important. If an advertisement is poorly pitched on a large screen, its failure is more conspicuous on a little one.

Facebook alone accounts for 15 per cent of all mobile advertising, and is likely to further encroach on Google's 53pc share, according to figures from eMarketer.

This underscores the growing importance of such advertisements, and with that in mind, there are at least 10 tips worth remembering:

1) Be real - advertising on social media, whether it is paid or unpaid, is a chance to put a human face to the brand, and an opportunity to engage with customers in just the same way that great service can in a shop.

2) But not too real - if you're running a coffee shop, you'll only alienate customers by expounding on global politics. But it never does any harm to emphasise that, say, your coffee is fair trade.

3) Follow the right people - Britain's police forces got into trouble for paying too much attention to Kirstie Allsopp and Lady Gaga on Twitter, and not enough to the public. Every business should follow those who are already customers, and those who could be.

4) Engage in the conversation - if a fan says you're great, retweet it. If they say you're rubbish, ask for more details.

5) But don't be too public - there's no shame in asking a customer to email you if you want a little more privacy.

6) Think multimedia - pictures, audio and even video are all almost effortless, thanks to the smartphone. If you operate from a particularly interesting venue, or a customer doesn't mind you using them as a case study, get cracking.

7) But don't compromise on quality - a rubbish video is just as damaging as a misspelt blog post.

8) Stay current - few things are worse than a site that hasn't been updated in weeks, especially on Facebook or Twitter. These are living, breathing places, not simply shopfronts.

9) Put someone in charge - you wouldn't dream of not taking your cash to the bank regularly, so think of updating Twitter or Facebook as similarly important. It's a tool for retaining and recruiting customers, after all. And it may be a good chance for a bright young employee who would benefit from 'social media experience'.

10) Don't forget the law - if you retain a list of customers, you are responsible for keeping their data safe. And no one wants to think you just sold on their details.

Using social media is free and must be explored by all to derive the best from it.

The Telegraph concludes that all these tips will not put your page with 20 followers at the top of Google's rankings. But they mean you can ask your own friends to 'like' it or retweet something. That's the first step to getting the rapid 'network effects' whereby thousands more people see your digital 'shop' than will ever walk past your actual store.

By Charles Benoni Okine/Graphic Business/Ghana