Every business’ technology needs are different. Some companies are heavily reliant on their computer equipment and need increased performance while others can get by longer with more of the same. Some need cutting edge equipment and have the budget to burn while others get by with hardware from a few generations ago, waiting for a price break or a Dell or HP Discount to upgrade. Sooner or later, however, upgrade time comes to all companies. When that occurs depends on several factors.

End of Life

Every piece of hardware has a prescribed lifespan that takes into account normal wear and tear, the typical cycle of new technology and the demands of the environment. When that “best practices” lifespan ends, it’s time to replace the hardware. These are the general rules of thumb:

High-end hardware in a heavy-use environment:

• Laptops: two years
• Desktops: three years
• Servers: three to four years

Lower-end hardware in a non-technology-intensive environment:

• Laptops: three to four years depending on wear
• Desktops: five years
• Servers: four to five years

Capacity

There are times when a business’ computer equipment should be upgraded before the end of the typical lifespan. The first of these is capacity.

Regardless of how well the IT department tries to “future-proof” its technology, increasing demand can lead to hardware reaching capacity before its end of life. Unexpected company growth or increased usage can lead to greater demand on servers, for example. The server that did the job well a few months ago is now underpowered because it’s being utilized more than expected. Laptops and desktops, likewise, may turn out to be not good enough and unable to meet performance demands.

User demand on client-side, server and even network equipment can easily drive a company on its upgrade path sooner than expected. The first step is usually to upgrade existing equipment with more memory, increased storage or even a better operating system. These upgrades often turn out to be temporary fixes, though, especially in high-demand environments. Eventually a full replacement, ahead of schedule, may be necessary.

New Projects

Another upgrade driver is new projects. It’s hard to tell what a business’ needs may be in the future when computer equipment is purchased today. New initiatives may be rolled out that necessitate upgrades long before the expected replacement date.

Businesses are always evolving and technology is sometimes called upon to evolve with them. Maybe the file server now needs a document management application. Perhaps the sales team can’t get by without a dedicated CRM package. It’s even possible that the company’s web servers now need to be brought in-house. Any new initiative like these could require new hardware or upgrades to existing hardware. New projects, like capacity and typical lifespans, drives a business’ need to upgrade its computer equipment.

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SimplifyThis is our pursuit to conquer the complexity of overbearing business processes which should have become simple and efficient with the use of technology. Our online invoicing and appointment scheduling software helps small business owners to streamline administrative tasks.

If you are running a business, you need a great way to attract customers. One of the more common techniques used is to attract customers through the use of the Internet. You can manipulate the content of your site to attract plenty of potential customers, but you need to keep them there once you have them. What are some ways to improve the appeal of your website to customers?

Highlight the Advantages of Shopping Online With Your Business

The best way to get customers to shop with you is to convince them that this is without a doubt the best way to go. Make sure that your customers know that they can get the same great customer service, but with less time spent shopping and at better prices.

Offer free shipping on purchases, or offer coupons for those who shop online. Even if your company is well known outside the web, it will still help increase sales and attract new customers.

Make Your Site User Friendly

This means that your load times should be reasonable and the site can be easily navigated. Offer a site map if need be to help customers find the items they want without having to spend all day looking. Customer service should also be easily available for customers who cannot find what they are looking for.

Have company contact information in case a customer would like to make a complaint, or offer suggestions to make your website easier for them. If the customer has a good shopping experience, it will make it likely that the customer will come back for more of your goods in the future, and will tell others about that experience.

Keep all Information Current

All relevant information that a company should reasonably provide should be kept current. If your company has a new address, that information should be up to date. Make sure telephone numbers and management contact information is correct.

When it comes to pricing, all prices and specials should be up to date so as to not confuse the customer. Not having correct information online just makes the company look foolish and unprofessional. Having inaccurate information can also open a company up to lawsuits and customer complaints that will generate bad publicity overall.

Flexibility of Payment Options is Critical

If you insist on making customers pay with a check, or only accept a couple of different credit cards, it is going to be hard for your customers to pay online. Offering payment options via Paypal, or allowing the use of multiple credit or debit cards will make it easier for your customers to shop with you.

If a customer feels like they won’t be able to complete a transaction, it won’t make it more likely that this customer will shop with you anytime soon.

How Your Site Looks Also Matters

Design and concept is critical for making a website appealing to customers. Do research into different color combinations, and hold focus groups to see what customers prefer. A sleek, modern design will make customers want to spend with your company and do business with you.

If a customer feels like the site looks like it was made in 1994, it might make the company seem outdated. Unless your business goes for a retro-feel as a brand strategy, keeping up with consumer tastes is going to help out.

Any company that is looking to make more money and increase revenues is going to want to have a sleek website that attracts customers. You want to make sure that you have given the customer a good reason to shop on your site, give them an easy shopping experience and then make it easy for the customer to finish out the transaction. A company that can do this for its customers is going to find that it has an easier time being successful at increasing its brand loyalty.

Syndey B. is a writer who loves to educate her readers on all sorts of topics from car insurance laws to auto insurance discounts. When she’s not busy writing, she volunteers at the recreation center teaching computer classes to senior citizens.

“Go local” isn’t just a eco-friendly slogan. It’s an opportunity for businesses to cater to the demands of their community, utilizing an eco-movement to brand their business and drive sales.

The one-size-fits-all advertising mentality is no longer relevant, and the “buy local” movement provides the perfect platform for paying individualized attention to your community. Customers expect to have personalized relationships with their favorite businesses—a process small businesses can take on more easily than big-box chains.

As a small business and an important part of your community, you’re perfectly poised to take advantage of this local angle. Here are five ways to cater to your local community and drive sales.

Get social with social media

Your social media efforts will not be a success if you’re pinging customers with tweets that say, “Take advantage of our 10% discount! For a limited time only.” It is not engaging or original.

There are countless resources about social media for small businesses. The bottom line is to be a you must get social.

Think about what you get out of your closest friendships:

1. Humor
2. Conversation
3. Understanding
4. Support

Show your customers that you care when they have a criticism by listening, validating their complaint, and offering either to change your approach or offer some sort of compensation. For example, if a customer complains about poor customer service, provide them with something from your business at no charge. And don’t fill your social media accounts with generic “10% discount” announcements. Ask questions, get your customers talking! The more you sound like the person who lives next door, the more your customers will want to drop by and hang out.  Not convinced? Here are six case studies showing how social media drives business.

Befriend your competitors

The competitor down the road can be your ally. When pooled together, your shared products and services can promote a far bigger vision that will get your name out in front of customers in a much more powerful way. If you run an acupuncture practice, consider teaming up with a masseuse so your clients can develop a holistic approach to preventative health. If you run a local sporting goods store, team up with your competitor to start a sports league. You can draw off of each others’ expertise and bolster your personal brands by working together. A stronger community means more exposure and better referrals.

Connect with local bloggers

Who needs the local paper these days? Journalists are solicited to on a daily basis, making it more difficult for your business to get coverage. Almost every community has a blog devoted to a topic synergistic to your business. These blogs are run by readers for readers – meaning they often have a very loyal following. Get a nod from today’s taste-makers and you’ll have eager customers lining out the door. Consider hosting contests, giving away products for reviews, and building up a solid partnership with local bloggers. Over time, their readers can become your customers.

Do your research

Market research is essential to understanding your customers. Through surveys, focus groups, in-depth case studies, and more you can target your marketing efforts to drive sales. There are even companies who provide market research assistance to small businesses, allowing them to barter for their services and save money.

If you go the survey route, it can provide secondary benefits besides just data. For example, you could ask questions like, “Were you aware of our customer referral program? Would you like to learn more?” Now, not only did you get them to fill out your survey and provide relevant data, but you have their contact information and permission to contact them regarding an opportunity that could lead them down an additional sales funnel.

Survey tip, tie a giveaway or discount into a survey to incentivize customers to fill it out.

Reach out to local cultural communities

If your business operates primarily within a Chinese community, you’ll want to launch initiatives that will target that segment. Small gestures like catering to their language or recognizing important traditions can go a long way. These outreach efforts are best paired with hyper-local customer reward and referral contests, which acknowledges their tight knit community in your neighborhood.

Adria Saracino is a blogger and outreach consultant for businesses both big and small. When not advising on the best ways to get business coverage, you can find her writing about style at her personal fashion blog, The Emerald Closet.

Simplifyhis is an all-in-one online invoicing and web appointment scheduling tool that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs to simplify administrative tasks.

There seems to be a popular misconception out there by people that work as employees that self-employed individuals have nothing but free time and are on vacation 24-7, while the rest of the world is grinding away at a J-O-B. Ask any entrepreneur if this is true and, after they manage to get their laughter under control, they will agree that this is the farthest from the truth.

While the huckster on the TV infomercial hawking a get rich quick scheme would like you to think that if you only had the courage to kiss your day job goodbye, you would quickly find yourself in the land of expensive cars and big houses, sipping a frothy drink at some exotic seaside location, nothing could be further from the truth for the average entrepreneur. Being self-employed is not about sitting around eating bonbons and sipping margaritas poolside – it is about something much more important.

It’s About Freedom

Once you get a taste of it, you never want to go back. Even when you factor in the ups and downs associated with being the one steering the great ship SS Entrepreneur. Even after feeling the daily stresses associated with being your own boss. There is no turning back after you have gotten a taste of freedom that goes along with no longer working for the man and being in full control of your destiny.

What exactly is this freedom that the self-employed enjoy? Here are a few examples:

• No boss – What would you act like if you no longer had someone telling you what to do, breathing down your neck? Would you sink or swim? Would you be a success or just another statistic? Having no boss means you are in command and can no longer look for assistance from someone who should know better. It also means freedom from a tyrannical supervisor who is about as clueless as a newborn.

• Do what you want, when you want – I don’t mean that you only work 30 minutes a day spending the rest of your waking hours lounging around (unless you have stumbled across a great secret, and if this is the case, lets talk!). What I mean is that you can organize your time in the way you see fit, working on whatever part of your business needs attention right now, ensuring everything gets done in an efficient, timely fashion. This also means that if you have the opportunity to go for a walk in the park, then take it. After all, you don’t have a boss chaining you to a desk telling you what you can, and will, do between the hours of 9 to 5.

• You are in control – For the good, and the bad, you are the one that makes the decisions vital to the success of your business. You no longer have the luxury of pointing the finger at someone higher up when things go bad. It is scary to have this kind of responsibility, but it is all very freeing and liberating to be the one in control.

Where Did My Free Time Go?

Contrary to what Tim Ferriss would have you believe in The 4-Hour Workweek, the average self-employed individual puts in many more hours than someone working 9 to 5. Let’s not forget that the idea of a day off, or a vacation, is foreign to most entrepreneurs. To many small business owners, the concept of free time is something from their past, and something that they hope to encounter somewhere down the road. Being your own boss is a lot of very hard work and is all consuming.

Before too grim of a picture is painted, let me remind you that working for yourself is not about free time – it is about the freedom that one gets from being their own boss. To achieve this kind of freedom, sacrifices must be made, including giving up free time. In the end, it is often times worth it for those few individuals that take the risk of stepping into the great unknown of entrepreneurship.

It’s Not All Rainbows and Unicorns

Any entrepreneur will tell you that everything isn’t always rosy in the land of small business, but most wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Well, maybe they would trade it for millions of dollars so that they could live the life of exotic cars, mansions, and white sandy beaches that the pitchman on TV promised. Short of that, the idea of throwing in the towel and going back to work for someone else sends shivers down the spine of most entrepreneurs. It may not be all rainbows and unicorns, but it sure beats the alternative!

Marshall Davis runs Business Service Reviews, a website dedicated to reviewing products and services that help the small business owner be more efficient and competitive so that they can realize their dream of being free from working as an employee. His new interview series, Talking Small Biz, highlights entrepreneurs that are working hard everyday to build a successful business that lets them enjoy the freedoms associated with being self-employed.

SimplifyThis is an online invoicing and web appointment scheduling tool that gives entrepreneurs greater freedom from administrative tasks.

One of the most time consuming business tasks is reviewing e-mail. Since e-mail is the primary source for sending business communications, the sheer volume of it can be overwhelming. When you can’t find an e-mail, you waste time and the adage “time is money” is true for all businesses. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to control your e-mail and get back to business.

Organizing your email: action vs. reference

According to productivity specialist Sally McGhee, there are two types of e-mail: reference and action. Reference e-mails can be saved for later. Action e-mails contain information needed to complete an action, such as meeting dates. These e-mails should be transferred to your calendar or to-do list. If a reply is required, make the reply right away.

McGhee recommends that people set aside a scheduled time every day to review their e-mail. Set an appointment on your calendar and review without distractions. Decisions regarding some e-mail require focus which is difficult with phones ringing or people stopping by. McGhee admits this is tough to do at first, but once it becomes a habit, it takes less time to review the inbox.

Using flags

Personal productivity expert Peggy Duncan suggests flagging certain senders, such as your boss or sales reps you deal with regularly. When you periodically scan your e-mail during the day, you’ll see those flags and be able to attend to them immediately.

The 4Ds of email organization

Both Duncan and McGhee agree that there are “4 Ds” to organizing e-mail:

• Delete It
• Do It
• Delegate It
• Defer It

These 4 steps can be used for any e-mail. Their consistent use will keep your mailbox organized and allow you to access saved information immediately.

1. Delete It.

Both experts admit that this is the most difficult step. Most people have the mistaken impression that they will need the information at some point so it must be kept. When deciding to delete you should ask yourself if the e-mail is meaningful to your current objectives. Can you find the information elsewhere? Will you refer to it in the next six (6) months? Is the information legally required to be retained? If you answer no, then delete.

2. Do It.

If you can respond in less than two (2) minutes, do it. Put the appointment on your calendar, and delete it.

3. Delegate It.

If it’s not part of your job, forward it to the person it belongs to. Why keep something that’s not yours?

4. Defer It.

According to McGhee, this is 20% of e-mail. When you defer e-mail, file it in meaningful categories. Rather than just having a file marked “accounting,” create meaningful subfolders. If you recently went to a conference and have receipts and data from it, filing everything under accounting isn’t the wisest choice. Try creating a folder for the seminar, or create subfolders in accounting for “travel invoices” and another under vendors under “vendor data.” Just be sure you periodically check the information you’ve deferred. If you haven’t used it in 6 months, return to step one.

Duncan recommends taking step 4 further by creating rules that will automatically move messages to specified folders based on the sender or key word in the subject line. Any e-mail received from a supplier can automatically be forwarded to a folder for that specific supplier. She also recommends setting e-mail security settings on high to help block spam.

By taking some simple steps and a little time, you can turn your unruly e-mail box that manages you into a smooth running system that you manage allowing you to spend time doing your job.

Ian B writes for Oasys Software which specializes in mail management software.

SimplifyThis is dedicated to helping small businesses to run more efficiently. Our online invoicing and appointment scheduling software helps entrepreneurs to better manage their time while projecting a professional image to clients. Follow us on Facebook.

If you are a small-business owner, then chances are you will find yourself struggling at some point during these depressive economic times and you will need to look for ways to cut costs. Now would be a good time to check out ways that you can save money by examining your insurance policies.

People often overlook their insurance policies and their costs, but you can often save more than you expect if you examine your policies closely and put some time into reviewing how much you spend and for what. Most business owners purchase car insurance, workman’s compensation insurance, etc. when they first open up their business and then they just pay the policy every month for years without ever stopping and considering if that policy needs to be updated. Perhaps you have changes that have occurred within your business such as having fewer company drivers (which can change your car insurance premium) or maybe you have installed safety features within your business (which can save money on your accident insurance policies).

Ask about discounts

Consult with your insurance companies about any new discounts that may be available for your business. Many times there are lots of discounts that you can benefit from, but your insurance company doesn’t just tell you about these discounts. By simply asking what discounts are available for your insurance needs, you may find that you can save a substantial amount of money. Talk to your insurance agent and thoroughly go over every possible discount until you’re sure you’re getting the best deal you can.

Compare prices

Shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal for your money. Many different companies will offer the insurance products that you need, and they will have different prices, discounts, and opportunities for you to save. By making a few phone calls you may find a much better deal at an insurance company that you have never dealt with before. If you really like your current insurance provider, you can ask them to match the prices quoted by another company, which could give you the best of both worlds.

Raise your deductible

Consider raising the deductible of your insurance policies. If your existing car insurance policy has a deductible of five hundred dollars, inquire about changing that deductible to a higher amount. You will be surprised at just how much money can be saved, simply by increasing your insurance deductible. However, only do this if you can afford to pay that deductible. Your business shouldn’t ground to a halt because you can’t pay to get the car fixed after an accident. Either put the extra money saved by raising your deductible into an emergency fund or have someplace where you know you can quickly get the money in case of any issues.

It is impossible to know just when the economy is going to improve to the point when business owners will not have to keep an eye on every penny, but until it does, cutting back on insurance costs is just one way that you can save your company some money and ensure you have the adequate cash flow needed to sustain day-to-day business operations. Just by simply taking the time to evaluate your insurance needs and what areas can be changed in order to save some money will be worth it for you and your small business.

Gina Hamilton is an insurance consultant and content contributor for Kanetix.  Check here to get a Kanetix car insurance quote or check the latest news affecting U.S. and Canadian insurance, like optimistic business conditions in Canada.

Are you interested in getting involved in paid search marketing but don’t know where to start? If so, this post is for you. Pay per click advertising can be extremely effective, but it’s very complex and you need to make sure that you have the right pieces in place or you’ll be doomed to fail before you even start.

The Prerequisites

Before you can operate a successful PPC campaign, you need to make sure that your website is appealing enough to keep people interested once they arrive. It needs to be aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. I recommend using specific landing pages for each of your ads that takes the user to the page they’d be interested in. For instance, if your ad was for dress shoes, I’d link it to your dress shoes page rather than the homepage. Once those pages are in place, you’re ready to move on.

Make sure you’re ready to commit to AdWords management for at least a few months before you decide it’s a good medium for you or not. I noticed a lot of small businesses getting frustrated that their ads aren’t converting customers within the first few weeks and giving up completely. Give it some time, Rome, as they say, wasn’t built in seven days. Three months should give you enough data to make some decisions about your campaigns, but it’s never too soon to seek professional advice on how to make your campaigns better.

Keywords 101

The first step you’ll want to take in creating your ads is getting together a solid keyword list. These are the words that searchers use to trigger your ads. The best place to start thinking about the keywords you want to use is your company website. You’ll quickly notice what words are used most often, once you’ve picked them out make sure you add variations of those words into your keyword list. By variations, I mean that if your website is for PPC services, you’ll want to make sure you use PPC, Pay-per-click, and pay per click services as keywords because they all mean the same thing.

When choosing keywords, make sure you add your brand. These clicks are generally cheaper because they’re more specific than the broad terms you’ve found on your website.

If your particular industry uses quite a bit of jargon (like the PPC world), put yourself in the customers shoes and think about keywords that they would be searching for if they weren’t as knowledgeable on the subject. Would your customer be searching for pay per click management services? maybe, but they might also be searching for help with Google ads or help with online ads.

At this point you should separate your keywords into different groups based on the services or products they represent. Not only does this make it easier to manage them, but Google scores your ads based on relevancy in your ad groups, and if you have keywords for baseballs and keywords for kitchen aprons in the same group, your quality score will be lower. The higher your quality score, the less you’ll end up paying for your clicks and vice versa.

Use Your Keywords Wisely

Now that your keywords are separated nicely into their own groups, you should create ad groups on the AdWords platforms, import those keywords and write your ads. Make sure that your ads use your keywords frequently, as that improves the quality score, resulting in more clicks at a lower price. And don’t forget that you should constantly be on the lookout for new keywords that can help convert sales, make sure to set aside time every now and again to do more keyword research and keep those clicks coming.

Trace Ronning is the social media coordinator for WordWatch PPC Management. He blogs about small business and paid search at WordWatch.com/blog and you can follow him on twitter @WordWatchPPC.

SimplifyThis is web appointment software that helps solopreneurs and small business owners simplify administrative tasks. Follow us on Facebook.

As a business owner you are likely bombarded with stress on a daily basis. Here are five wacky ways for you to reduce stress and lighten the mood.

Stress can seriously hinder your productivity at work, diminish your ability to manage your employees and have a very detrimental effect on your health if it’s allowed to continue for a significant amount of time. Often we are so caught up in what we’re doing that we don’t even realize that we are suffering from stress. If this happens, you need to do something that distracts you.

1. Leave an anonymous note or treat

It feels good to do something for someone else, no matter how small. Whip up a batch of cookies, or even buy them at the store, scribble a nice note to someone and drop it by their house. Except don’t wait for them to open the door and welcome you in. Leave the plate on the doorstop, ring the doorbell and run like the wind. Find a good hiding place and watch the smile on their face as they find an unexpected treat/note on their steps.

2. Spontaneous romantic act

Whether you are single or in a relationship, nothing can distract you from your regular daily stress than doing something romantic. If you are married, bring your spouse flowers or a special treat when you come home. You could also get a babysitter and surprise your significant other with a dinner date. If you are single, be bold and go ask that person you’ve had your eye on for months to go on a date with you.

3. People watching

Take a break from your own thoughts and head out to the mall or your local airport. Find a bench in a prime location and sit and watch the people walking buy. Whenever you see someone interesting, make up their life story. Bringing a friend on this type of outing can double your fun. Be sure to be as extravagant as you want when telling someone’s fake life story.

4. Bus tour

I’m not referring to an actual bus tour to a tourist site, but to hopping on any city bus, whether you know where it’s going or not. Take a seat and enjoy the ride. You might find new and interesting areas of your hometown that you had never noticed before. If you feel like it, say hello to the people next to you. If you are feeling really stressed and want to completely distract yourself, wear a mask or some other kind of costume while you ride. Watching people’s faces when they see you will be priceless.

5. Walk in a park with no shoes

If it’s winter, this may not be a good idea, but if it’s spring or summer, retreat from stress to the outdoors. Find a local park or less crowded spot on your college campus, pull off your shoes and meander around. Focus on the feeling of the pavement or grass under your feet. It’s a very pleasant sensation and sure to help you feel rejuvenated and relaxed.

Natalie Clive is a staff writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers is an excellent tool for those looking to complete their college degree and attend one of the best online colleges.

Leading a business is one of the most rewarding challenges many people will undertake. Good business leadership requires a combination of education and instinct. Business leaders at all experience levels are well-served by remembering five essential tactics for business stewardship.

1. Do not get stuck behind a desk

Many business leaders get bogged down in the details of correspondence, financial reports and other desk work. Of course, good executives take care of these duties. They also spend time with employees and customers to get a multifaceted view of operations. All leaders should stay in touch with the individuals who keep a business afloat.

2. Engage employees in business planning

The individuals who do mundane business tasks on a daily basis often have a good grasp of what works and what does not work in a given business. Ask employees to contribute to business building and planning activities. Invite them to occasional planning meetings. Employees may offer innovative ideas. Even if they do not, employee morale will be greatly improved.

3. Read leadership literature sparingly

Some executives become obsessed with reading a variety of books and articles on leadership. While some leadership advice is good, too much leadership advice can be counterproductive. Executives must choose a leadership style and practice it consistently. Too much variation is seen as weakness by both customers and employees.

4. Keep a business diary

It is easy to dwell on failures and forget successes. Cataloging business successes is a good way to find motivation in rough times. Keeping a daily business diary can help any executive retrace the steps that led to a failure. It can also help leaders retrace the path that led to outstanding business success.

5. Solicit candid evaluations of leadership practices

Most employers evaluate their employees on a regular basis. Performance evaluations are nerve-wracking for employees. Receiving a performance evaluation can be a humbling and useful experience for many business executives. Leadership boards of large organizations often evaluate executives. They look at the bottom-line and identify specific successes and failures. Employee-generated evaluations can help any executive understand what leadership strengths and weaknesses contributed to those successes and failures.

Successful business leaders are not afraid to change. They can adapt to difficult work situations and economic climates. Their endurance comes from carefully cultivating leadership practices. Steering a business is a life-long learning opportunity. Business leaders who practice humility and mindfulness often find the long-term success that others will never achieve.

Bio: Chad manages his own business, and speaks from experience. His company helps people sell used vehicles.

SimplifyThis is an online invoicing and appointment scheduling tool that helps solopreneurs and small business owners simplify administrative tasks. Follow us on Facebook.

If you’re a small business owner, then you are probably fully aware of the importance of having a good reputation. Customer goodwill can make or break a small business, so it’s important to find ways to keep your customers happy without having to spend a lot of money.

One of the easiest ways to add value is to make your customers feel special. Keep them informed about what’s going on with your company, and engage with them via social media. Keeping up with all of the social websites that are out there can be difficult, but this is one area where outsourcing can help. Hiring a reputable social media agency, or even a digital marketing agency that understands how social media works can do wonders for your business.

Engagement vs. Advertising

One area where many companies go wrong is that they think of social media as a form of advertising in its purest sense. They assume that if someone likes them on Facebook, follows them on Twitter, or subscribes to their YouTube channel, it means that they’re giving the company permission to advertise at them incessantly. That couldn’t be further from the truth for most users.

Social media is about engagement. It is about swapping information, exchanging messages, and occasionally dropping a little advertising in. A good social media agency understands this. If you go too heavy on the promotion side of things, people will either block you or unfollow you, and they’ll always remember you as a spammer.

Support via Social Media

Some companies use social media to chat with the most avid of fans, and other companies use social media for support. A good example of this is T-Mobile, who has a dedicated advice stream on Twitter. Customers that are having problems can get in touch with T-Mobile via Twitter, rather than having to use email or telephone for a quick query. This is a great way to instil a sense of goodwill in your customers, and get some free advertising along the way.

If you have someone on staff that understands how social media works, then you could delegate the handling of your Facebook and Twitter feeds to them, however it can be a lot of work to keep up with requests if your company is a popular one. If you have more than a few hundred followers, it may be a good idea to enlist the help of a digital marketing agency to manage your accounts for you.

This post was written by James Harper of Boom Online Marketing. James writes on subject relating to business and technology.

SimplifyThis is an online invoicing and appointment scheduling tool that helps solopreneurs and small business owners simplify administrative tasks. Follow us on Facebook.