I have been working with small to medium sized enterprises for a number of years now, regularly banging the drum about how important it is that these companies are using social media. What I hadn’t realized until last year however, was that the people who I was encouraging to utilize social media, and opened accounts, but they had no idea about how to get the most out of it, and so stopped using it.

The way in which I school people now, as a result of this realization, is that I not only tell them the benefits which social media can have on their business, but also just how to go about getting the most out of it. If you are someone who thought social media would be a good idea for your business, but aren’t sure how, her is how you should be using it.

Engaging With Customers

Firstly, your customers should be able to see inside your store, on your goods and on just about any promotional material that you have, where they can find you on social media. On your customers are signed up, you can use social media as a unique way of directly interacting with them. Two way interaction between business and customer is practically unheard of, but with social media you can make it happen, listen to the customer’s concerns, talk through the products and even promote.

Hiring Staff

Hiring staff is not always easy but with social media you can boost your chances of getting the right staff working for you. Use of the incredible social media app ShiftPixy can help you if you use temp or shift workers in the company. What the app does is encourage shift workers to sign up to the app, and then notify it when they are available for work. At the other end, your company will access the app and upload shifts which you have available, and then the app can help you fill the slots, and get you out of trouble. You could also use the social media channel for professionals, LinkedIn, to contact people who yo think has the skills for the job.

Marketing

For me, the single biggest reason why I think that all businesses should be making the most out of social media is because it offers you the chance to market your company, for absolutely free. There is the option on social media to pay for advertising which can be highly successful and offer you a great ROI. Even if you are not prepared to part with any cash, you can still utilize social media to connect with hundreds of thousands of people, in the click of a button. Sharing content such as videos, photos, articles and links, can be a great way for you to promote brand awareness, as well as showcasing your products and services to the world.