You want to start social networks with your company.

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But you do not know how?

Or are you already a little active on Facebook or Instagram, but are you stuck because you do not know what you have to publish?

Then this article is written for you so you can get your ideas straight. Because we start at the beginning: first ask yourself the most important questions, for example, what do you want to achieve with your social network activities and through which platform do you reach your ideal clients?

Social networks: a love-hate relationship.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg recently caused a stir in the area of ​​online marketing because Facebook announced drastic measures to ensure that messages from the company’s updates end less and less in someone’s news feed.

“And then?”, You could think as manager of the social media. It is true that I have also planned to put an end of my Facebook account several times, but ended up changing my mind at the last minute. Especially now that I have a goal, I no longer plan such drastic measures. Honestly, I can’t do what I do without Facebook. Not only am I active in several Facebook groups where I can exchange ideas with like-minded people, such as parents of young children, online marketers, Instagram experts or fans of the theatre. I also have a page of my company where I post the updates of our blog and regularly share some tips. With the use of social media, I am sure that my message is distributed. I really believe in the benefits of social networks, especially for small entrepreneurs.

Are you an entrepreneur who has always wanted to work with social networks?

Or do you have a Facebook page or an Instagram account, but you don’t use them much?

Then read on, I promise it will take just a few minutes of your time, but we hope that at the end of this article, you see the social networking activities of your company differently. Maybe you still decide to quit your Facebook account, but hopefully for the right reasons and not out of frustration “for not winning any customers.” Because … is that really true?

Social networks: you cannot ignore them anymore.

You can’t ignore their existence and, therefore, their impact on society. Social networks have an effect at all levels of our lives and also in our business. Many employers consider it unnecessary, a toy for young people and, above all, time and money. But social networks have passed that stage and are now critical if you want your business to bloom.

We have bad news for the skeptics of social networks: social networks are not an exaggeration, and they will not disappear either.

Social media is not new but floats on something that has been the core of human behavior for centuries: communication. The difference is in the speed and the way we communicate through social networks.

Let’s see some figures that show that social networks are not an exaggeration but a phenomenon that our society has already changed and will continue to

How to start with social networks.

We know that social networks can be overwhelming and even intimidating for entrepreneurs. You have many questions:

• On what social media platforms should I be present?
• How much time and money will it cost? Do I have to be on Instagram all day?
• What happens if there are negative comments from customers?
• How can I keep track of all the changes? The world of social networks is constantly changing, isn’t it?

We can reassure you: social networks are essential for entrepreneurs, but it does not have to rule your life and it also doesn’t have to cost you a fortune.

It is not a good idea to be present with your brand on every social media platform such as blogs, podcasts or YouTube, and on every social network such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Twitter. It can even be bad for your company because there is an expectation that you can also be contacted through all the channels once you are active on.

Start a small scale, with 1 or 2 networking sites. We recommend you start off with Instagram. This is because iigers will help you. They will make sure your account becomes popular amongst your objective audience. All your customers are already present on Instagram; they just need to know you are present on Instagram as well. Once you have mastered this platform, you can explore new terrains.

It is important to realize that just the presence of your company on social networks will not be enough to have an impact. Before starting your social media activities, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• Why do I want to be active on social networks with my company?
• How do I define my ideal client?
• How do I commit to my ideal client?
• How do I convert my ideal client to a real customer?
• Why do I want to be active in social networks with my company?

The answer should not be: “because everyone is on Facebook.” This question is about the strategy of your social media activities:

What is the goal?

What do you want to achieve with social media?

The strategy of social networks is closely related to your business objectives and core values.

The objectives must be SMART. This is an acronym that stands for: specific, measurable, accessible, relevant and temporary. Examples of commercial purposes in the field of social networks are:

• Conversions: convert website visitors into paying customers.
• Improving the image of the company or brand.
• Market research.
• Attract new employees.
• Participation: persuade people to do something with your website or social media channels.
• Acquisition: bring in new customers.
• More name recognition.
• Building relationships with existing customers.

A SMART goal of “more name recognition,” is, for example: “Increase Facebook reach by 5% by June 30”. This is measured by the increase in the number of Fans / Followers / Subscribers.

You will notice that the objectives of social networks are not just the amount of “likes” on Instagram or retweets on Twitter. If you only measure your success with it, it will not be profitable in the long term.