While Telsec’s office space Toronto has benefited greatly from using social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus, other small businesses have not had any success using social media to attract new business or to reinforce business relationships with existing clients.
Having an Internet presence is good, but social media requires a commitment. Before considering setting up a social media profile, you should first make a plan on how and when you will update and interact with that profile. The experts say that unless you can commit to regular updates and interactions with your social network followers, you are better to not have a social media profile. The reason for this is that without constant monitoring and interaction with your followers, problems may occur and by the time you find them, the damage to your reputation will be done. Some office for rent Toronto clients have told us that they have a Facebook page and a twitter account, but they do not use them all the time. Not interacting will lose followers and not give them a reason to consider your content.
If your current clients are not using social media, what makes you think that you will find new clients on social media? There are products and services that people utilize and seek out in their online social circles – but there are others who will simply ask a neighbour or even the guy who has the office space for lease Toronto next door to them. When you are looking for a dentist or other health professional, you are not about to look for them on social media. You are much more likely to ask a friend for a personal referral. The same goes for your local mechanic or the personal trainer at your nearby gym. These are instances when you actually want to know the person who is giving you the referral.
Here are some tips to determine if social media is right for your small business:
- Google your product or service to see if your immediate competitors are using social media
- Find out how many followers and the amount of interaction your competitors are making on social media
- Look on social media sites to see if there are groups for people interested in your product or service
- Decide if you have the time and resources to keep your social media interactions relevant and useful to your clientele
- Plan the time you want to spend on social networking
- Plan your social spending budget, including advertising dollars you need, to get the followers you need