Social media is a huge benefit for many businesses, but there are obstacles that can get in the way of a merchant having a successful social media presence. From the level of experience and comfort to the amount of time it takes to post, there are many reasons merchants find to forgo social media, and stick to traditional methods of advertising. In our social media driven world, a social media presence is a must, and there are simple ways that you can provide a lively social media presence without losing control of your business schedule.
Yes, social media can be time consuming. Many of us have logged onto Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter for a quick check, and 20 minutes later, we are still logged on. The same can happen with a business account. From advertising new goods, to answering messages and posted questions, and even posting about local events, the options are endless to consume our time. Every social media site seems to attract its own niche of people; for instance, Instagram is photo-centric, while Twitter is where the word lovers go to play with 140 characters. Facebook is a good mix of both. While obtaining social media accounts for each are easy, keeping up to date is not if you are a busy merchant.
For this, there are social media managers for hire in every major city. While you may think that your teenager or next-door neighbor’s kid is a good and cheap social media master, chances are they are not privy to the type of information and postings that you want to get across to your audience. A skilled, experienced social media manager can help advise you to the type of audience you need, as well as the type of materials you need to provide. While you still need to check on your social media accounts, your social media manager can help keep your accounts up and running on a daily basis. Yes, this can be costly, so be sure to contact your merchant account provider to see if you are eligible for a small business cash advance to help fund your investment.