I spoke with a potential client this week who was struggling with marketing for her new small business. She used Facebook for herself and used e-mail to communicate with her clients, but she didn’t have a website or any social media channels for her business. She needed some help and direction for her marketing efforts, but she didn’t have a lot of time or a lot of money.
“What is the least I need to do?” she asked.
It wasn’t the first time I was asked that question and it certainly wasn’t the first time I had given this topic some thought, so here is my answer. This is the very least you need to do for your on-line marketing and communications.
Set up a Facebook page for your business. This is easy and free and should never be overlooked. You can use your Facebook page as the center of your online presence until you have a website.
Begin to build content and build community on your page. Post articles that relate to your business. Post photos of your products and services. You can even set up a store or take donations right from your Facebook page.
As you develop your brand’s personality, you will eventually want to stake out an independent on-line presence on your own website, but a Facebook page is a great starting place.