A small business must stand out in order to thrive, and whether that be through creativity or the sheer amount of exposure you can earn for your company, it should be at the top of your to-do list. One of the best modern ways to reach target audiences for little to no cost is by creating accounts on two of the largest social networking sites: Facebook and Twitter. Facebook allows you to connect with its users and provide them with information and specials about your business, while Twitter allows you to do the same with short “tweets” that can be re-tweeted by all of your followers. We will explore in depth the benefits these platforms can offer your small business.

Free Exposure

Perhaps the most crucial advantage to using Twitter and Facebook is the number of people you with whom you are able to connect. Every impression made is a step in the right direction and by having your brand visible on these sites, you can begin to accumulate new business – whether it be local, national or international. If you are creative and your followers like your status updates, they will share them with their friends, giving you even greater exposure. This is the organic way that Facebook pages and Twitter accounts accumulate followers and generate much needed brand recognition.

More Web Traffic

Ideally, each status update posted will include a link to some aspect of your offered product or service. While there is some debate about whether or not links posted on Facebook and Twitter are clearly read by search engines, Twitter links in particular have the potential to increase your site’s standing with sites like Google and Bing. Generally speaking, the more natural links about your site that exist on the internet, the more likely people will see your page when searching for a relevant topic, interest or product. To see how many Twitter links your site currently has, use Pingler’s free Twitter Links Finder. It clearly shows each Twitter link associated with the webpage URL entered.

Access to Niche Markets

While Twitter does not have extensive marketing tools, Facebook allows advertisers to market their site to virtually anyone and is available to everyone. For example, you can create an advertisement that shows your page to friends of the people who have liked your page, giving you greater market penetration. Best of all, the advertising costs are ridiculously cheap; you can easily get anywhere from 5,000-20,000 impressions for less than the cost of a cup of coffee! Best of all, you can target individuals by age, location, gender, interests and much more, making it an absolutely great value.

Earn More Business

Through both Twitter and Facebook, you can increase your sales by having your followers and fans do the work.  When they share something they’ve bought or liked, it exponentially increases the likelihood that one of their friends or followers will purchase something from you as well. While they may not purchase anything at all immediately, there could be a time in the future when they remember your business in regards to their particular needs.