More Social Strategy

Being a small, family business of 2 – 3 employees, Seaside Family Services cannot employ a marketing strategy that requires a ton of time or financial resources. Most likely, I will continue to act as the admin for the business until I can get my wife trained and prepared to take over the social media platforms currently in place. Facebook, besides being the most popular outlet and the one I have enjoyed using the most, is the one that is most manageable, so that platform will constitute most of my social media endeavors. I also plan to integrate a blog and newsletters into my strategy. I have not done much with my business Instagram page, but I plan to incorporate this as well. Perhaps a hashtag photo contest

I plan to post approximately 2 to 3 times per month so as to keep followers involved but not annoyed. I will post seasonal items as well as pertinent information as it arises, such as tax deadlines, new tax laws or immigration updates. Since my company does not have a website, my blog will contain most of the information I want my followers to know. Some of my Facebook posts and newsletters will contain links that point to appropriate blog post. Additionally, if I mention a term or topic that I have posted about previously, I can create a hyperlink on the text and have it lead to the past post. I have to admit, I was initially hesitant about the idea of a blog, but my business’s lack of a website lends well to blogging.

Keeping an eye on Yelp reviews is also going to be a key part of my marketing strategy. Keeping this on my radar will give me key insights as to clients’ satisfaction.  Lastly, I need to obtain access to the Google Maps account for my business. There is inaccurate information on the location listing, and I want our clients to be able to find us.

Twitter, Google+ and Groupon, although they can be great marketing devises, I don’t feel are right for my business. I feel Twitter is more for well-established, big businesses with a following. That is far from what we are. Google+ could possibly work for my business, but quite frankly, there is too much for my wife to do on a day-to-day basis at work to take on and manage a second email account and a second social network. Since I have more experience and expertise with Facebook, I feel my efforts are better spent focused there. Although I know that a Groupon deal can give a business a big boost, I don’t think it’s right for us either. Our prices are already very economical. An attractive Groupon deal would not be cost-effective for us.

The platforms I have used have been effective so far. The true test will come around tax season. At that time, we will see if my efforts have resulted in more people in the door.