Any business, whether just starting out or in a main stay in your industry, will be looking for the best way to get their message out in the least expensive manner. One of the most popular ways to advertise to the masses with minimal financial investment is by maximizing the online social media tools available.

Any business looking to be profitable will want to be armed with the social media tools that will play an important role in company communication, product and brand promotions, and business development. The four main social media tools discussed in this article: facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, and you tube, will be familiar, but it’s worth taking a moment to consider how these social media tools might become powerful marketing tools when used in a business context.

Social Media Tools/FaceBook

Facebook is arguably the most popular social networking site, and you’ll definitely want to be sure your business has a presence on. Facebook is a powerful social media tool for building relationships, raising brand awareness, communicating with customers, and effectively targeting your specific customer market. With a widespread yet relatively low-cost advertising platform, you can connect directly with both existing and potential customers who might want to know more about you, your product or service.

Social Media Tools/Twitter

If Facebook is the most popular social networking site, then Twitter is a close second. Many people who don’t understand Twitter make the mistake of using Twitter as a purely broadcast medium. Social media is a two way communication street, and effectively using these social media tools requires listening and interacting with your friends rather than just simply posting. Be remarkable in your company’s tweets and try to think of it as taking part in a conversation, not just another soapbox platform.

Social Media Tools/LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful social network for entrepreneurs and business professionals. It’s one of the best social media tools for finding and researching potential job candidates. It’s been estimated that 75% of hiring managers using it over Facebook and Twitter. For established entrepreneurs looking to develop themselves as industry experts, do so through the LinkedIn Answers domain(s) relevant to your industry will be a great way to increase your level of credibility and drive new traffic to your business.

Social Media Tools/YouTube

The most obvious and frequent business use of social media tools like YouTube is for marketing and advertising, but don’t get sucked into the trap of simply putting out commercials. People recognize and ignore this type of format. Create videos that will provide quality content to the user. For example, creating a video for FAQs can be a great boost to customer service. Videos of you and your team giving public presentations, speaking at conferences or engaging with the media can establish and enhance your company’s reputation as a thought leader. Of all the social media tools discussed, You Tube is gaining popularity because more people prefer watching video to reading and video marketing has a quick and significant impact to site ratings.

SOURCE:http://blackboxsocialmedia.com/social-media-optimization-smo/social-media-tools-for-entrepreneurs/