Trending in Social Media for Small Local Business

Blogging,YouTube, LinkedIn,  Instagram, Google+ are Biggest ROI for Most Local Small Businesses

Coming on Strong - Pinterest and Tumblr

 One of my longest term clients noted Wednesday that he has no idea how small business owners can possibly be keeping up on social media without someone like me working with them.  I laughed.  Sometimes I think I need somebody like me to do the social media for my small business. Here for your consideration is a quick review of where things are today based on my personal observations and reading the opinions of others. 

Blogging Is #1 at the top of the list of what you need to be doing for social media

The algorithm changes introduced by Google in the past 15 months have made long form content King of the Hill.  See my much longer post about Long Form Content here.  Your blog becomes the foundation stone for all the rest of what you do.  You tell the whole story on the blog.  It stays up and relevant for years.  Google loves the fact that there is great, unique, valuable, content and they give it better ranking.  Now you tell the world about your post on Twitter, FB, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and whatever else you have going.  Folks see the headline and if that is their cup of tea, the head to your blog to read the rest.  Now if they like the way you write or report they may subscribe or join your email blast or buy a product or go on to your website or pick up the phone and call you.

Other content you create can also go on your blog.  YouTube videos, PR releases, sales and information created for you eMail blasts, or even company brochures.  You can also report about community events, industry updates, and personal info about you, your staff, and your customers.

YouTube is still high on the list of critical social media locations that return sales for time invested

If you aren't doing video you should be.  In most cases video will give you the most return for your money over the long run.  I have videos created three years ago that still make my phone ring, and videos for clients that were made 5 years ago that are still helping them ring up the cash register. 

Videos are so easy to do now, and so easy to edit, that they should be something that you have 30 or 50 or 80 of online. 

LinkedIn is soaring in popularity because it is so useful.  

While Facebook stock was plunging from $40 to $20, LinkedIn stock was going crazy.  Also starting around $40, it is now around $120.  There is a reason.  Linked in is now approaching 200,000,000 users and they are owners and decision makers.  They have high incomes.  And the content they discuss in updates and in groups is actually worth talking about. 

I have provided a series of articles on how to optimize your Linkedin profile and potential on this blog.

I don't suggest for a moment that I am an expert on every single aspect of social media.  Therefore I will not provide you with more that this about Instagram.  It is very, very popular.  It is super easy to use.  And as witness to the changes at Facebook and Google+ this week, a picture is worth a 1000 words.  Visual is big. 

Google+ will eventually rule Social Media unless they mess it up.

Where do I spend any time on social media for my own benefit or enjoyment.  Google+.  It is a man's world of hype and puffery and arguing politics and religion and whether iPhone or Android is better.  It is also serious and useful and easy to navigate and there are more and more and more and more people like me who are seeing all of that.  (Don't show that last sentence to my English professor.)

In the next month or so, I will be writing extensively about Google+.  Subscribe now so that you are on the list when those posts start appearing.