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Every small business colleague and associate I know utilizes social media to further the promotion and visibility of their business. Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or LinkedIn, I rarely encounter a business owner these days who does not have an account with one of these media platforms. While at a luncheon a couple of months ago, a very reputable business consultant playfully scolded a business owner for still having an egg as his profile picture on his Twitter account and his failure to consistently utilize his account to share details about his business. His reasons for not taking full advantage were due to him feeling as if he did not have adequate time to dedicate to a visible page and also not fully understanding how to use the platform.

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As recently share in an openforum.com article, Shawn Prez, president and CEO of Power Moves, a grass roots and alternative marketing agency that serves small businesses, as well as music industry personalities believes, “We live in a digital age where the majority of consumers are tuned in electronically, and it’s imperative that small-business owners embrace that world. Social media is your first line of defense.”

So exactly how can you expand your business by using social media?

Sign Up Existing Customers

“Take advantage of your clients and their potential followings,” Prez says. “When people visit your brick-and-mortar or online store, request their cellphone numbers and email addresses and then send exclusive promotional incentives as a thank you, along with requests to ‘like’ and ‘follow’ your company. This creates a connection between you and your customers that people want and expect,” Prez instructs.

Act Like A Hit Band

Fish has found success treating his restaurant “like a rock-and-roll” band. “Just like a record producer will do when a record is coming out, we promote new products with gimmicky giveaways and posters that we post on Facebook,” he says.

Prez agrees with the tactic. “Building a fan club is done all of the time in the entertainment industry. Record labels and independent musicians don’t wait for the fans to discover the video and music. If an artist drops a new video, it’s uploaded to YouTube, and the video link is sent out to all of the artist’s fans. Small-business owners can post short video promos and photos and then send out links via email and text.”

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