Image by: Ed Yourdon
By Michael Sterling

Everyone is using social media as a digital megaphone to let consumers know they exist. Though we’ve seen tremendous response when it comes to marketing, a smart business owner will be able to utilize its other attributes.

By thinking outside the box and formulating a strategy which exists outside the norm, not only will you increase traffic to your online business, but you will always be one step ahead of your competitors. In this day and age, social media isn’t just a tool. It’s the foundation of your future, but more importantly it’s the only way to stay connected with your consumers.

#1) Relevance Is Key

When utilizing your social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, relevant content is key to bringing consumers to you. Trending topics are always going to be the hot button searches on Google and other engines. By making your content relevant to hot topics of the day, users are more likely to see your site pop up during a search.

Business owners often get confused by words like “engagement” or “interest” in reaching consumers. Though these are important things to think about, they won’t get the customer to read passed the first paragraph. When you build it, they will come.

Search news outlets like CNN or Forbes in the morning and get a feel of what people are reading that day. Another nifty idea is to do a Google search under the “news” tab with particular keywords relating to your services, i.e. “business” or “money” or “music.” You are sure to see trending stories which will bring more users your way.

#2) Bloggers Want Your Business

There’s literally thousands of bloggers out there you never heard of who have hundreds of avid readers. Even though the numbers might not sound like a lot, the more write ups and motivational outreach you can get from random bloggers in “small town cities” the more likely it is their followers will read and (hopefully) share on their personal pages.

Bloggers are only interested in eyeballs. If you can convince them to do a story on you which stands a chance of getting good viewership, there’s no way they can say no. Offer them an interview if they want, plus any pictures that would make an interesting slideshow. No matter what happens, you both win.

Be sure you give your company’s Twitter handle so they can inform readers to follow you or look up more info should they want to. You never want to leave someone hanging with no way to contact you.

To get you started, here is the top 100 blogs as reported by Technorati. These sites write many stories on a daily basis, so there is always a need to for new information. Your company will be just what the doctor ordered.

#3) Concentrate On “One” Site

Many social media gurus advice you to branch out all platforms to create a bigger splash, but according to Forbes, by concentrating on one or two social websites alone, like Twitter and Facebook, you enhance not only your knowledge of how each of their features works, but you begin to create a reputation for yourself within that forum.

Don’t spread yourself short by giving half-ass content on all social media sites you can get your hands on. While it’s important to create accounts for Instagram, Vevo, YouTube, and Vine, don’t give them equal attention. Instead, have one “mecca” where you incorporate all of them into one giant brochure.

One great profile is always going to be better than 6 mediocre ones.

#4) Change The Form 

Without sounding too much like an old man, this generation of consumers is much more “hip” than generations in the past. They don’t want to feel like they’re communicating with a machine or an uptight-educated person. They want you to speak their language in a way they understand.

Buzzfeed and Upworthy, for example, broke the mold of a typical “headline” by engaging their audience in a modern tone. Instead of the typical news feed words, like “[So & So] does [So & So] today for [So & So],” they decided to make their content pop with words and innuendos, like “You Will Never Guess What [So & So] Did Today.”

As a business owner, knowing what gets your consumers attention is key to their engagement. By creating your own way of communicating, not only do you become more personal, but you immediately give your site a “personality” which subconsciously eases the minds of the consumers, and makes them feel like they’re hanging with their best friend.