Making Use of Social Media - Even If You Hate It

Let's face it, sending out Tweets and updating Facebook pages is not for everyone - some people would simply rather spend time on other tasks involved in running a business. But what do you do if you just don't have the budget for hiring someone to update your social media?  Twitter and Facebook are not going away anytime soon - companies that want to stay relevant in the marketplace are going to have to use them.  Take heart - there are some ways to make use of social media sites without having to spend hours updating your status.  Here are a few:

• Use a service like dlvr.it, Hootsuite, or LaterBro  that will automatically update FaceBook, LinkedIn, and Twitter with your blog posts


• Add links to social media on your own web site to enable visitors to help spread the word about your business


• Pre-write simple tweets and have an intern or young relative send out on a scheduled basis

 

Should You Be FB "Friends" With Clients?

Today we're so used to posting everything in our lives, that we sometimes forget who's looking at it.  Do you remember every single person listed as one of your friends on Facebook?  If you "friend" clients, keep that in mind before you post pictures of "girls/guys night out" at the bar.

To avoid potentially embarrassing situations, be careful when "friending" clients or potential clients on your personal accounts - keep in mind that they will be privy to everything you post.

Make sure to keep business and personal social media pages separate. That means don't post personal information, photos or opinions on your business or organization's FB page or Twitter page, and conversely, don't solicit business via your personal FB and Twitter accounts.  You can successfully use social media to your business's advantage as long as you set and maintain boundaries between business and pleasure.