Are You Missing the Benefits of Social Popularity for Your Business?

Social media networks have become a major part of business marketing and socialization with the customer. Unlike other forms of marketing, social media allows all businesses, both large and small, to connect with current customers and reach out to potential customers with the same effect - increased business. However, some businesses have an easier time increasing followers simply because the name is well-known and trusted - like Walmart, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Small businesses don't have the marketing funds to reach as far and wide as these major companies, but that doesn't mean small businesses should give up on social media marketing. All it takes is a little social popularity to work some magic.

Do You Have What it Takes to be Socially Popular?

Recently, I shared a link for a piece written by a friend on Twitter. Within 30 minutes I received a personal message from one of my followers. The message was a funny quip on the name of the article. I had never interacted with this follower before and doubt I ever read a single tweet by the author, but that personal message changed all that. I immediately visited his Twitter page and read through a few articles he'd shared. I looked through pictures and even re-tweeted some of his best works.

The contact that follower made with me was not by accident. He was using the power of social popularity to increase his personal popularity. Often, we use social media solely as a means to promote, promote, promote. We forget that social means to connect, talk and share, but that doesn't stop with sharing a link and appropriate hashtags.

When a small business succeeds with social media popularity, it is because they've not lost the meaning of social media. They share personal experiences. They comment on links and re-tweet things followers have shared. The same method can be used on other social media networks as well, including Facebook, MySpace and Tumblr. If you want to have the social power of a mega-business, you have to treat customers with a personal touch so they feel, if only for a moment, like you noticed them among millions of others.

The Simple 1-2-3 of Social Popularity

Some people will tell you to set aside one day a week to sort through Tweets and Facebook Shares to communication with your fans and followers. That is the wrong idea. You communicate with family and friends, both physically and virtually, every day if you are active with social media; why are your followers and fans worth any less?

1 - Make it a point to read status updates, tweets and shares from your followers and fans - all of them.

2 - Comment with direct messages and public messages on the content you've read.

3 - Share bits and pieces of your life - either personal or business - with your fans and followers without asking them to read something or click some link.

There is no limit to the growth your small business can experience with social popularity. Viral videos reach millions. Front page articles on major Internet networks reach millions. You can reach millions, but you have to treat social media as the tool of social popularity it really is.

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