Do you have an aversion to social media? If you're not taking advantage of this low-cost marketing tool, you may get left behind

How many times have you heard this: Companies and organizations need a social media strategy. Given the phenomenal growth of social media, including the ubiquity of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it seems reasonable that even the smallest businesses can broadcast their message using these web-based tools. 

Sure you can, say the experts. But it’s a good idea to know what social media involves before you launch into it. The first thing to remember is that social media isn’t meant to be a monologue or a megaphone; rather, it’s a conversation. And you’re not always the one initiating the conversation.

“You’ve got to listen first,” says Giles Crouch, the president of MediaBadger Ltd. in Halifax. Crouch says that before you tweet, post, or link, you must spend time researching social networking sites or other websites to find out what people are saying about your market and company. You also have to familiarize yourself with the different sites out there to understand whether they’re suited to your business. For example, if you sell fruit baskets to consumers, then LinkedIn isn’t for you. If you’re a business-to-business operation, Facebook isn’t for you.  It’s important to know who your audience is and where in cyberspace they hang out.

Once you’re ready to begin posting, start small. “You can set a schedule,” says Crouch. “You don’t have to respond every second.” He and other experts suggest that people remember they don’t make their living through social media, and if clients or partners see your posts everywhere, they’re going to wonder whether you’re focusing enough energy on your real job. 

Once you’re using social media, don’t forget it’s a conversation. You’ll want to know what your clients and potential clients are thinking and saying about your business. You’ll want the good feedback, of course, but you’ll also want to hear the bad, so you can discuss it with clients and find out how you can improve. 

“You’ve got to be personable when you’re using a social network,” says Cailin O’Neil, the co-founder of St. John’s-based Social Media Atlantic Canada. By “personable” she means interacting with others on their social media accounts—making comments, answering questions, and fielding complaints. O’Neil’s company is proof that social media can lead to the creation of new businesses; she met St. John’s-based Candice Walsh through their personal use of social media, and earlier this year they decided to form SMAC. 

According to MediaBadger’s Crouch, many people try to use social media as a broadcast tool. He advises preparing your content before you become engaged in social media. Line up your testimonials and think about what you’re trying to accomplish with your blog, if you have one. Once you begin posting, think about creative ways you can attract business and be consistent in how you use it. On the creative side, O’Neil suggests thinking of clever way to attract clients to your business. It could be a tweet that offers a 20% discount to anyone who comes into your company and mentions they heard about the deal on Twitter. 

Once you’re up and running, set a reasonable pace and stick to it. Don’t spend too much or too little time on it; instead, find the right balance. Above all, don’t start putting up regular posts and then all of a sudden stop for six months; your followers will assume your company is having problems or has gone out of business. “We’re talking about low-cost marketing, and what you’re demonstrating is your professional knowledge of the sector,” says Crouch. “Your market is online, and if you’re not marketing there, you’re not selling—the two go hand and hand.”