Social media is still confusing for many people.  While you might understand the usefulness it has in connecting with your friends and family members, you might not see the relevance it has on your business.  However, many entrepreneurs swear by social media and are using it to grow their businesses.

The Success magazine blog had some great advice on how you can use social media to thrive in today’s economy.  Here are a few of those tips:

Get to know your customers. You can learn a lot by reading blogs and social network updates.  In a way, social media allows you to learn how your customers think. It can even help you discover new opportunities to better serve your target market.

Share information. Write social media updates and blog entries or create Web videos that would interest your customers.  If you write interesting content or create compelling videos, people will share them, which can help you reach a pretty wide audience.

Build relationships. Social media sites, such as Facebook, give you a unique opportunity to show your personality and expertise to your potential customers.  They will feel like they know you and will be more apt to turn to you when in need of your products or services.

There are a lot of benefits of social media and it is definitely a marketing avenue worth exploring.  Read our blog entry, Social Media Could Be Good for Your Bottom Line, for more information.

Find out where the smart Northern Virginia business owners are gathering, by visiting Glazer-Kennedy-Virginia.com.

Part of the big draw to social media is not only the potential to get in front of a large audience, but also its cost effectiveness.  If done right, social networking, which includes using such sites as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube, can be a great marketing opportunity.

Word of Mouth Advertising on a Larger Scale

Word of mouth has historically been one of the greatest ways to attract new business.  Think of social media as word of mouth advertising on a larger scale.  According to a blog posted on Mashable.com, How Small Businesses Will Use Social Media in the Future, “in-stream advertising, news feeds from Facebook, and user-generated content are all ways for a business to monetize a customer’s interaction with both their friends and the brand.”

Approach Social Media with a Purpose

You need to approach social media with a purpose – to increase the exposure of your business and to build relationships with potential customers.  That means posting interesting content and interacting with your prospects.  The trick is to share information without overtly promoting your business.  You need to build trust and show that you are the person to turn to when someone needs your particular product or service.

Will social media help your business? It’s worth giving it a try.

Find out where the smart Northern Virginia business owners are gathering, by visiting Glazer-Kennedy-Virginia.com.

After tracking the online activity of 200,000 users and comparing this information to the prior year, researchers discovered something that is rather interesting.  The social media audience is more mature and culturally diverse than most people realize.  Based on the study, twice as many people ages 50+ are using social media than individuals under age 18.  As a business owner, this demographic information is crucial.

Getting involved in social media doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It is easy to sign up for a free Facebook or Twitter account. Plus, it is just as simple to set up your profile.

If you don’t have online video on your website, you might also want to consider adding this feature.  According to Nielsen, there was a sharp increase from 2009 to 2010 in the viewing of online videos.  Web video is a great way to catch the attention of prospects visiting your website.

To stay competitive in this day and age, you need to stay on top of marketing trends.  Social media is one of these trends.

Find out where the smart Northern Virginia business owners are gathering, by visiting Glazer-Kennedy-Virginia.com.

Let’s take it a step farther.

What if you were able to stay friends with the clients you turned away and the other business professionals you referred them to? All of this might sound like a far-reaching goal, something that only other people are able to accomplish.  However, it is very achievable and it begins with creating your group of followers.

Your followers, fans, herd or whatever you want to call them, are the ones who are going to help your business grow.  This is a group of former customers, current customers, leads, family members, friends and acquaintances.  Any time someone responds to your marketing message, you can add him or her to your group.

Once you have your group, you have to stay in front of them or “top of mind.” You can do so by providing them with interesting information and by staying in constant contact. Monthly newsletters are one way to cultivate your following and so is the use of social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter.

When people start to feel like they can trust what you have to say, they will not only turn to you when they need your services, they will also refer their friends and family members to you.

To find out where the smart Northern Virginia business owners are gathering, visit Glazer-Kennedy-Virginia.com.