As a Social Media and Digital Marketing specialist, I cannot neglect the fact that there are a lot of experienced, successful business owners that don't necessarily understand Social Media, let alone how it can benefit their business. My Social Media 101 Guide breaks down the basics of Social Media for people and business owners who want to know more about what Social Media is and how to get started.

1. Social Media 101"
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‘An Introduction to Social Media
and how it can benefit your
business.’
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What is Social Media? !
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Social Media is defined as any website or mobile function that
allows the sharing of content, ideas and messages between users.
It is not just a webpage for broadcasting content (many mistakes
are made in assuming this), it interacts with you while providing that
information. Social Media is a two way street that allows you to
communicate directly with like-minded individuals, influential
professionals and most importantly customers."
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What are the main Social Media sites?!
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Blog - This is one of, if not, the most important Social Media site.
Regular, updated content helps maintain your website's SEO
(Search Engine Optimisation) ranking, this helps increase your
visibility online and ensures that your website appears early on in
search engine results. Blog content also forms the basis for other
Social Media activities and content scheduling."
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Facebook (1.23 billion users) - Facebook isn't just a place for
personal profiles consisting of pictures of your dog and latest
holiday snaps. It's actually an opportunity to get thousands of
people interacting with your business both online and offline. Users
can share your Page and content with their friends, “check in” at
your business location(s) and interact with your business directly."
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Twitter (243 million users) - Twitter is a great way to stay up to date
with real-time news and information around a particular sector or
subject. Most importantly for a business owner, it allows you to
'listen' to the conversations that are happening around your brand,
product or industry and engage with those users."
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LinkedIn (277 million users) - On the face of it LinkedIn is pretty
much a virtual CV, but as a business owner you can connect with
experts, service providers, potential clients and could help with
recruitment efforts. A LinkedIn company page functions in a similar
way to Facebook in terms of content."
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Instagram (150 million users) - Instagram isn't just a place for
pictures of dinner, pets and sunsets. It can be used to elegantly
showcase your products, update people on your latest promotions
and offers, or let followers go 'behind the scenes' of your business. "
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YouTube (1 billion users) - YouTube is a tool for providing quality
video content for people who want to learn about what you do or
useful “how to” type videos. The viral potential for quality digital
marketing campaigns is huge."
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Google + (300 million users) - This is Google's answer to the
Facebook, the basis of which is to integrate your social media
activity and content with your search engine. As well as personal
profiles and 'circles', a Google + business page and regular content
does wonders for your SEO. "
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Others - There are a huge number of other Social Media sites like
Pinterest, Vine, Foursquare, Snapchat and Flikr. There are always
new Social Media sites being developed and staying up to date
allows you to leverage these new networks in creative digital
campaigns. If you want to talk about any of the above Social Media
sites or have any questions, we'd be happy to help! "
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4. Which ones should you use? "
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There's no simple answer to this question, it really depends on your
business, message and audience. Generally speaking, every
business should have a website, blog and Facebook page - other
platforms will come into play depending on the type of content that
is best for your business. You can book a consultation session with
us and we can help you decide which ones are best for your
business."
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What are the benefits of Social Media?!
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Social Media opens up whole range of opportunities for your
business to grow, connect and engage with existing and new
customers. You now have access to thousands of people that you
never had before, you can listen to the conversations that are
happening and gain vital real-time feedback. "
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The ultimate aim is to turn fans and followers into advocates and
the key to making social media work for your business is to publish
regular, relevant and engaging content. "
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This is where we come in - we specialise in working with
businesses of all sizes and industries to help you understand your
online audience and build effective, engaging content for your digital
channels. We can also build the schedules, strategies and
campaigns that make Social Media work for you. "
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If you'd like to know more about how to get started with Social
Media or simply have any questions, we’re more than happy to
help. You can get in touch directly or fill out an enquiry form and
we will get back to you within 24 hours.
www.hivesocial.co.uk
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