Buyer's Journey: Turning Your Small Business Customers into Brand Ambassadors

NEW YORK, April 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As more and more small businesses establish their social media channels, new customer acquisition shouldn't be the only front and center focus, instead establishing brand relationships with existing buyers may be the key factor in determining if social media is having a positive impact on your business. Watching your customers become cheerleaders for your brand is the mecca of marketing, and if you want to get more out of your existing social efforts consider the following:

1. Advertise. Existing consumers may not even be aware that your business is active on social media. Ensure that social buttons are included on employee email signatures and on the homepage of your website. Encourage shoppers to follow you by including social info on customer receipts and on signs that are located within your shop.
2. Incentivize. Promotions and deals that are offered exclusively on your social media pages provides customers a reason to follow your brand socially. Consider running contests on your social platforms to encourage engagement that can lead to customer evangelism.
3. Provide value. Enhance your brand's reputation by becoming a trusted source of information. This can be achieved by producing helpful content about your brand as well as material that is relevant to your target audience.

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With a plethora of social media marketing options, small businesses are afforded unique opportunities to connect with their existing clients -- turn them into fans -- and watch as that draws in new business. For further discussion on ways to revolutionize your social media marketing program, read the latest article posted to PR Newswire's Small Business PR Toolkit here: http://bit.ly/1byDkkV.

PR Newswire's Small Business PR Toolkit is a comprehensive resource that provides small businesses and entrepreneurs the tools to develop an affordable public relations and marketing plan that helps generate interest from potential customers, engage with key audiences and grow their businesses. The toolkit features relevant content such as informative white papers, interactive webinars and how-to articles and premium access to educational resources, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of special offers designed specifically for small businesses. To request information on how PR Newswire can help your small business, click here. You can receive updates on new Small Business PR Toolkit content by following @prnsmallbiz on Twitter.

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Amanda Eldridge
Director, Strategic Channels
201-360-6906
Amanda.eldridge@prnewswire.com