I am starting to promote my business on Social Media.
- What do I need to think about?
- Which site is best for my business?
- Who should I trust to do this for me?
- Are there any risks I am not thinking about?
There are many things to consider when marketing a business. Should I go with a message on Radio or TV, Newspaper or Billboard? Should I join the Chamber of Commerce, the Knights of Columbus or some other local organization? In today’s business climate the conversation eventually turns to the internet and whether your business should be on social media. Many small businesses start with a Facebook Page. This is because many small business owners already have a personal Facebook page and they are comfortable with. This is a good place to start because this is also where the most people are active on social media. While it is a good idea to have a presence on social media, there are several risks involved with starting a social media marketing campaign. Here are just a three things small business owners should consider before establishing a presence on social media.
Determine which accounts are appropriate for your organization or business
If you are a bar or a restaurant than Facebook and Twitter will probably be more beneficial to you than LinkedIn or Google+. In a business to business industry where you are mostly offering a product like general liability insurance quotes or lawn care and landscaping services, Facebook may not be the best platform for you to reach your target audience. LinkedIn might be a better place to market your business to other business owners. Picking the right platform will help you maximize your results on social media. Most social media professionals state that it is better to be on one platform and do it well than to be on several, yet none of them get the attention they need. A big determining factor for this issue is time. If you do not have a lot of time to commit to social media than start small and keep it regular. Whatever schedule you decide upon, stick to it regardless if it is once a week or even once a month.
Have a plan for protecting the Password
Have a small group of people that have access to the password for your social media accounts. Make sure these people are your most trusted employees. They need to be clear about what is and what is not appropriate for your business to be sharing on social media. It may not seem like much damage can be done by an irresponsible or deviant person with access to your social media accounts, but everything that is posted on your site can live on forever. So be extremely careful what is posted on your pages. Many businesses have not taken this seriously until a social media fail happened to their company. A social media fail is a mistake that is made with good intentions, but go horribly wrong when they are shared widely and misunderstood. Things can go horribly wrong very quickly on social media. This should not scare you away from starting a social media campaign, but you should definitely take seriously who can access your site and what content is or is not appropriate.
Mention your social media campaign to your insurance agent
Additional insurance may not be necessary for your business, but it is important to find this out before something goes wrong. Depending on the depth and the scope of your campaign you make want to add additional coverage to your existing policies. Cyber Insurance protects your business in two different forms. The types of protection deal with first person and third person liability. First person liability is called Data Breach Insurance and it deals with the damage that can occur to you and your business. Third person liability is called Cyber Liability Insurance and it protects your business from costs associated with the damage you make to third parties not associated with your business. Those third parties include clients, vendors and anyone who may be damaged by the actions of your business. This protection is typically the result of a data breach, but can extend to damage done by problems created by a social media mistake.
Mitchell Sharp is a Marketing Associate for General Liability Shop. Mitchell has extensive knowledge of workers’ compensation and cyber liability. His passion is in using his knowledge of commercial insurance, social media and content marketing to benefit the small business community.
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