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Insights and Expertise

StreetSmarts SM

Social media for business

By Allen Kopelman Project professionalism
Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. Today, your LinkedIn profile is your resume. It's important
to have an up-to-date profile with a headshot and company
or years, merchant level salespeople (MLSs) page. Don't settle for a job title; come up with a catchy
have been telling merchants to meet customers headline to attract attention and make sure that your
where they are; now it's time for us to return contact information is current. Create a link to make it
F the favor. MLSs need to meet merchants on easy for people to set up an appointment with you. When
every channel, and that includes social media. But there's it comes to growing your professional network, I do not
a delicate balance between sharing as a person and a suggest using an invite tool. These tools come across as
business owner on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and spammy. Try instead to be genuine and approach industry
other platforms. Business owners want to be playful and colleagues in a respectful way, and avoid trying to sell
engaging without getting too goofy or oversharing. In people the minute that you are connected. I've grown my
the old days, when people needed to find a business, they LinkedIn network organically over the years through
would pick up a phonebook. This was considered a major referrals, social media and by individual invitations, like
step forward from walking or driving around looking this:
for a store. We called it, "let your fingers do the walking."
Those big, heavy books were replaced by the internet, the "Hi, my name is Allen and we are both business owners
go-to place for finding products and services and reading in XYZ city. Would you mind if I stopped by and
online reviews. introduced myself?" Then, depending on whether this
Be everywhere was an onsite or online visit, I suggest a meeting place or
15-minute Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet call.
Having a presence on every social media platform It's important to project a professional image. Make sure
improves credibility and discoverability. You don't have your headshot is recent and looks professional, use sharp
to be an expert to leverage these platforms. Just use free pictures and a professional header and hire a graphic
tools to schedule two to three posts a week, using the designer or consider using Canva or similar service to
same content each time on every platform. create compelling graphics. There are plenty of tools
available that do not require much experience to use.
Today, having a website is just as important as having a
listing in yesterday's Yellow Pages. You can claim your Consider creating a short video of one to two minutes in
listing online with a "Google my business page." If you length, just by using your cell phone, to show that you are
work out of your home, it might be worth investing $40 approachable and knowledgeable. When people connect
to $100 a month to have a virtual office address, a more with you, invite them to your company page, to further
professional appearance than having a post office box. engage and share topics of interest.
Explore affordable options, including workplaces with
common areas and conference rooms where you can host Be appropriate
on-site meetings. To scale your social networks, plan to spend 30 minutes
to an hour, three days a week on the top platforms and
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