A three point formula to online success

If you run a small business you may know social media marketing is essential. But where to begin? These are 3 essential steps to help you get started in the big, bad online world.

Khurram Zahid July 24, 2010
In a country like Pakistan, where job uncertainty at its peak and market giants are still losing revenue having your own small business is like a blessing. Research has show that in times of economic uncertainty, small and medium businesses tens to survive while big businesses feel the heat and begin to decline. Moreover, nothing beats being your own boss.

However, no matter whether a business is a small shop or a giant corporation - marketing is mandatory. Large organizations have big budgets to invest in marketing while small businesses can’t find the money to spend on strategy. But don’t worry, the solution for small budget is online marketing, especially through social media.

Recent figures indicate that 1 out of 14 people on the planet is an active user of Facebook. This shows that social media still has the potential to grow in the coming years. Gurus of online marketing still advocate that social media will not only survive but thrive in the future. Therefore, businesses in Pakistan can also grab this opportunity and reach their target market without investing too much.

Here is a three-point formula for entrepreneurs and small business owners who have little or no experience in online marketing and social media.

Create a Fan Page on Facebook

Creating a Facebook fan page is easy. On the log in screen you can find a link which says “create a page”. Just click on it, fill the spaces and you are done. After creating a fan page, set it up with your company logo, introduction, location and phone numbers. Finally, don’t forget to invite your friends to your company’s official fan page.

Have a Linkedin Profile

Linkedin is a yet another social networking website where professionals from around the world gather and share their thoughts and ideas. Create a profile on it with the company's complete information and start networking with other professionals whom you think could be your target audience. Linkedin could be the best place for you if you sell B2B (Business to Business) products.

Make use of Twitter

Twitter is a social utility to share thoughts in 140 characters or less. It is very useful to announce any change in price, new product in the store and so on. The first step is to create a profile on it with your company logo and information, and start following people whom you think would have an interest in your product and services. People will start following you back and listening to your conversations once you become successful in developing trust through your tweets.

Pakistan is a country where online marketing is still in its embryotic stage. However, with an increasing number of users, the potential of marketing online has also increased. This article is a very basic guide on how to get started on social media for business marketing. Once you understand how social media and other online channels work for businesses, there are a lot other ways to market and brand your small business the same as big brands do.
WRITTEN BY:
Khurram Zahid Head of online marketing at a background screening company in Pakistan, Khurram spends most of his time on social networking sites for business - not pleasure
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (15)

Wordpress Themes | 13 years ago | Reply Good post and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Gratefulness you on your information.
aadil jillani | 13 years ago | Reply Nice one,keep it up khurram !!!!
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