5 Ways to Define a Small Business Social Media Action Plan

NEW YORK, April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Social media marketing provides resource-strapped small businesses an affordable opportunity to cultivate an online community, solidify brand-building and increase lead generation.  When it comes to choosing which social media platforms to utilize, select those that offer the best potential for reaching your ideal audience, and -- because everyone uses social media differently -- ensure that some time was spent defining your target audience so that your approach aligns with your overall marketing goals.  Here's a closer look at how to determine where to invest your time:

• Keep up with the competition: Where is your competition, what message are they conveying and what platforms are they using? Focus on engagement instead of the total number of followers.
• Identify your customer: Again, this is one of the most important factors when deciding on a social network. The age demographic of your customer may also play a role in your decision-making.
• Determine the want: After clearly identifying your customer, ensure you uncover what is driving them to consider your product and figure out the best way to deliver your information to them.
• Keep it simple: Don't add to the noise in an already cluttered content space. Your material should continue to provide value so that your audience won't tune any information out.
• Remember that numbers never lie: Social media traffic numbers to your website are also an important metric to monitor. When ramping up activity on a new platform monitor this number closely and make any adjustments that are necessary.

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For more insight on how to define a social media action plan, read the latest article from Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., on PR Newswire's Small Business Toolkit: http://bit.ly/1yrCiRv

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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