For our intrepid Frugaleur challengers with associated websites and online presence: There are many different ways to use social media to promote a business.

Social media is a fantastic way for a company to connect with their customers and attract others. Here are some things to keep in mind when creating a social media strategy for your company.

One of the least expensive forms of advertising

You will be able to afford to do more advertising or at least save a lot on your marketing expenses if you use social media platforms. While people of all age groups are now using the internet daily, younger consumers get almost all of their news and advertising messages via online sources. Since there are not as many resources used, you save money and reduce your company's environmental footprint by not using lots of paper, ink and postage.

Saves time

Messages posted to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are posted almost instantaneously, so your customers and potential customers can view your message quickly. This allows for more steady advertising and educational opportunities. If those that view your posts like what they see, they can share your message, which means it is reaching even more people. You don't have to wait for advertisements to come out or plan a long time ahead to get your message out there.

Drives traffic to your website or other social media sites

The whole dynamic of social media is about connections. If someone finds your business on Facebook or LinkedIn, they may well also visit your website. In turn, those that visit your website will be inclined to like your Facebook page. If all of your employees have a LinkedIn profile, you can use that to drive traffic to your website and other social media networks.

Keeping up to date is crucial

People need consistent content to become loyal readers. Set a goal of posting to all your accounts at least once a week. Some you may want to do more than others. For example, a daily Twitter post is only a sentence or two long and can contain a link, so you may want to post more of those than 1,000-word blogs. Readers of blogs are definitely going to expect consistency. It is also important to keep up to date on current trends in technology and the world of social media. A technology news site is a great way to read up on the hottest new trends so that your company can stay on the cutting edge.

Outsourcing social media content

If you are a small company and don't have the time for social media marketing, you can hire a freelance worker or firm to handle some parts of it for you or even all of it. For example, while sales announcements, photos and even Tweets might be something that can be handled by you and your employees, you may want to have the blog posts professionally written to your criteria. Even with hiring someone, you will reach a larger audience at a lower cost than if you used a lot of print and mail advertisements.

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