Social Media and Business: Challenges of Small Business Owners

Isabel Isidro

January 26, 2012

Small business owners often complain that using social media is not easy.

To create an effective social media presence, you need to have a well-thought out plan, and time to execute them. Time, for a small business owner, is often a luxury that they do not have (more so for the one-person business).




Social media also requires nurturing and cultivating your fans, friends and audiences. But you may not have the resources to hire a dedicated team to do and manage social media activities for you. If you’re a one-person business, it is very tough to add another layer of tasks in your already crowded and stressful day. Plus, with the number of social media sites — and the various strategies you need to do for each of them — it can become pretty overwhelming.

However, it can no longer be denied that social media has become an important medium for reaching your target market and engaging with potential customers. Some small businesses, in fact, have been successful in leveraging and using social media to grow their business.

One small business that is able to use social media to grow their business is MyDestination.com. In the article “Lessons on How to Use Social Media”, they share some lessons that they have learned in using social media, as follows:

1. Keeping your social media strategy focused upon your target audience is essential for the success of a start-up. It’s vital that those people who are engaging with your brand are those who are likely to be interested in the products and services of your business. Your Tweets, Facebook shares and other social actions need to reach the right people for them to have any impact.

See also  Want To Get Noticed on Social Media? Consider These Things

2. A blog can be a great way for a start-up business to create some initial traffic to a site and boost their social media presence. It will allow your social channels to have something to promote and also great content for people to interact with. You can also ‘show off’ your industry expertise through a blog, aiding you in becoming a reliable and authoritative business.

3. It’s vital in a start-up company to grasp an understanding of how your business can best use social media and implement strategies with minimum risk, using simple concepts rather than expensive campaigns, when budgets are tight. Educating yourselves and reviewing other successful social media campaigns will allow for this.

For more information on how social media is affecting small businesses today, below is a very interesting infographic:

Small-Business-Social-Media-Infographic

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Author
Isabel Isidro
Isabel Isidro is the Co-founder of PowerHomeBiz.com, one of the longest-running online resources dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs start and grow home-based and small businesses. She is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Ysari Digital, a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, content strategy, and performance marketing for small and mid-sized businesses. With over two decades of experience in online business development, Isabel has launched and managed multiple successful websites, including Women Home Business, Starting Up Tips and Learning from Big Boys.Passionate about empowering others to succeed in business, Isabel combines real-world experience with a deep understanding of digital marketing, monetization strategies, and lean startup principles. A mom of three boys, avid vintage postcard collector, and frustrated scrapbooker, she brings creativity and entrepreneurial hustle to everything she does. Connect with her on Twitter Twitter or explore her work at PowerHomeBiz.com.

8 thoughts on “Social Media and Business: Challenges of Small Business Owners”

  1. Small business for a start to one career until your have out grown the endless repetition of task, chat and small pay then your are ready to start your business or move up to a large corporation.

  2. Small business for a start to one career until your have out grown the endless repetition of task, chat and small pay then your are ready to start your business or move up to a large corporation.

  3. constantly i used to read smaller articles which as well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this article which I am reading now.

  4. constantly i used to read smaller articles which as well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this article which I am reading now.

  5. If anything, social media actually helps small businesses respond and overturn negative commentary being made about their brand. Whether they set-up social media accounts or not, consumers will mention and talk about the business online at some point, so it’s important to have a quick response.

  6. If anything, social media actually helps small businesses respond and overturn negative commentary being made about their brand. Whether they set-up social media accounts or not, consumers will mention and talk about the business online at some point, so it’s important to have a quick response.

  7. I would also recommend Storeboard.com – a new social media site for businesses that is growing quite a bit and can help small businesses get a lot of exposure. It is designed for small businesses.

  8. I would also recommend Storeboard.com – a new social media site for businesses that is growing quite a bit and can help small businesses get a lot of exposure. It is designed for small businesses.

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