You’ve heard the buzz words social media. You know that sites such as Facebook and Twitter are trendy right now. In fact, you probably even have personal pages on these popular sites. But, as a home based business owner, how do you make the most of social media for your business?The latest trend in promotions is the advent of social media tools that allow home based business owners like you to build relationships with thousands of potential customers through social media networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. These sites are no longer simply for people looking to post photos and chat with friends or relatives – many Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike have discovered the value of social media, and have established a presence through corporate pages and consistent interaction with prospective clients.As a home based business owner, you need to be there too.Social media is a critical component of any good marketing strategy because it allows you to build online fans and followers, and develop a loyal base of devoted customers who can receive instant updates each time you post updates to your business page. Social networking in many respects puts the power in the hands of the consumer, and mediums such as Facebook and Twitter can provide you with direct access to consumers who are looking for your specific product or service.One critical point to remember, however, is that social media is exactly what the name represents – a social tool that is only fully effective when the home based business owner to returns to their page frequently enough to provide real-time updates. Social media is effective when used regularly, because outdated information or infrequent interaction will cause followers or fans to lose interest. Home based business owners must also remember to be consistent across all social networking sites. For example, if you plan to use your home based business logo as your avatar on one site, be consistent and use your logo on every site where you have a corporate presence – this will help to establish your brand in the mind of consumer.It’s also important to consider that your ability to access and control what is said by your customers is limited; therefore, you’ll want to ensure that you are monitoring your pages on a consistent basis to see what others are writing about your home based business. You’ll also want to use restraint when communicating on social networks.The nature of social networking allows people to build on-line relationships with others, which can lead to the sharing of too much personal information, particularly if you are already accustomed to using social networking sites for personal interaction with family and friends. A good rule of thumb is to remember the old adage, “Never write down anything that you wouldn’t want to see in the newspaper the next day.” Simply put, social networking sites are very public forums, so be sure that what you are communicating is appropriate for the masses.The good news is that social networking can provide you with an avenue to manage your reputation and have very positive effects on how your home based business is viewed.

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