Hey Small Businesses, Don't be Anti-Social

Owners of small businesses usually have a lot more to worry about than how many people liked their Facebook page on a given day - they're preoccupied with payroll, taxes, operations and a host of other responsibilities. But marketing and gaining more customers is the only way to make a company grow.

To that end, entrepreneurs should embrace social media and should not be afraid of it, BtoB magazine reports. The key to social media marketing is to have a focused plan at the beginning and to start small.

Don't think that you have to compete with the social campaigns of multinational brands. Dianna Huff, president of digital marketing consultancy DH Communications, told the magazine that smaller companies should start with just one website - maybe Twitter or LinkedIn - as a means of dipping their toes in social without feeling they are drowning in the time commitment.

Kathleen Peters, owner and president of KMP Marketing, said in an interview with the source that content marketing through social media can also present small businesses with the opportunity to share their voice with consumers.

"Small-business owners often have an internal voice," Peters said. "Customers can tell when you're writing about something you're passionate about, when it's your business. Others from large companies often can't quite capture that authentic voice. Social media isn't just about the facts. It's personal."

Huff suggested using the social media platform that best suits a company's needs, rather than the one that seems like the most obvious choice. Yes, Facebook has nearly 1 billion users, but it may not be where a B2B company is going to find customers, she said.

Beyond marketing, social media can start to serve as another means of customer service, allowing a company to field questions from consumers without forcing the client to interact with a voice mail system.