In the first part of our two part segment on the 10 Common Social Media Questions from Small Business Owners, we looked at questions such as the following:
- Facebook, Twitter, or Both?
- How many Facebook fans or Twitter followers is a good number?
- Should I reply to all posts from Facebook/Twitter users?
- Do I need to hire someone to manage my social media presence?
- How do I get people to find my business?
In the second part, we take a closer look at the basics of social media including questions regarding blogging as well as platforms like Pinterest.
[Click here if you would like to read 10 Common Social Media Questions from Small Business Owner, Part 1]
6) What blog platform do you recommend?
Depending on the type of ‘blogging’ that you want to do, we at RewardMe recommend using the WordPress platform. WordPress is great because not only does it have an abundance of resources available (WordPress themes, WordPress plugins, etc.), but it also has a large community of experts that you can turn-to when it comes to support.
Additionally, WordPress is multi-purpose. By this, I mean that it can be used for an array of different projects. Whether it’s as your businesses consumer facing website or a photo blog, WordPress has excellent flexibility and is suitable for most, if not all projects.
7) What is Pinterest? Should I use it?
Pinterest is a pinboard-style social photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies, and more. An easy way to think about it is as virtual push-pin board where you can take your favorite images and post them with category tags/notes.
From a business standpoint, Pinterest can be an excellent tool if you want to show off photos of your food products, new products, and fun pictures of your business such as an event.
As the Pinterest community is based off visuals and a certain level of creativity, consider first if you even have anything ‘worth’ talking/’pinning.’
8 ) What is Instagram? Should I use it?
Instagram is a free, smartphone photo sharing app that allows users to take a photo, apply a digital filter to it, and then share it on a variety of social networking services, including Instagram’s own.
Similar to Pinterest, Instagram is all about the visuals. Can you tell a story with your photos? If so, then Instagram is for you. Clothing brands, restaurants, photographers and even models are all great examples of some of the top brands who use Instagram.
Remember, the goal isn’t to just to use a platform because that’s what all the cool kids are doing. The goal is to be relevant.
9) Is there any way to capture my customers emails via Facebook and Twitter?
Yes and no.
No: If you have a Facebook page or Twitter account, just because they follow or friend you doesn’t mean you get their email address.
Yes: If you want to grow a database that you can later market to with offers and promotions, there are several ways to go about this:
- Funnel users (Facebook, Twitter) – You can use your social networks as a distribution channel where in you can post content and updates that will lead them to a site or destination (ie: contest) for email capture.
- Facebook App (Facebook) – There are quite a few solutions available in the market that will allow you to capture fan emails through the use of a Facebook App. When a user ‘opts’ into your app, one of the data items that you may ask your user for is their email as part of the opt-in process. Word of caution: Facebook app engagement levels fluctuate and are not guaranteed to return on your investment.
10) What are some good social media resources to stay updated?
(Aside from ourselves!) We recommend checking out the following sites:
- Mashable
- ReadWriteWeb
- Social Media Examiner
- Problogger
- Quick Sprout
- Social Media Today
- RewardMe Blog (That’s us!)
—
Still have questions? Drop us a line or leave a comment below!
