“Social media” is everywhere. Everyone’s talking about it – news anchors, journalists, your mom, your bowling team. And while social media – Twitter, blogging, Facebook, etc – is hugely popular and has great potential for you and your business, the method in which most businesses use social media is largely ineffective. Let’s face it – nobody, especially your clients, cares about your inside jokes and how you burnt your toast. In our time as Paper Leaf Design, we’ve managed to use social media to help our business presence grow and attract new clients. In this article, I’ll share tips and guidelines on how you can successfully use social media for your business; I’ll also talk about what not to do.

Who is Your Audience?
Right off the bat, just like most everything else related to business, you should think about your audience first. Tailor your social media content towards them. Are you a marketing consultant who provides your services to small local businesses? Perhaps you should put yourself in the shoes of the small local business owner, then; what would they want to hear you talk about on your blog? What sort of Tweets would they want to read? Be honest, be blunt, and use the answers to these questions steer your social media content.
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