There are a ton of debates out there about whether companies should invest in social media, or if it’s even worth the time it takes to do it. As LiquidPlanner’s Community Marketing Manager, here are four reasons why I believe social media marketing is important to every organization – and some tips to get you started.

• First of all, it’s free (unless you are paying for advertising, which we’ll get to later). Your social media space is a place for you to toot your own horn and let people know what’s going on! Why not post a status or two about what’s happening?
• Secondly, social media builds credibility and doesn’t have to take that much time. Personally, if a business doesn’t have a Facebook, Twitter or some kind of social media presence, I lose interest fast. If you’re a restaurant, doing something as simple as posting daily specials takes 5-10 minutes and you might draw in a few new customers.
• Which brings me to my third point: Social media is a direct connection to current and potential customers. One of your restaurant’s fans who likes a photo on your Facebook page might have a friend who sees it and asks, “What is that? It looks so good!” From there they might make lunch plans and you have another new customer.
• And lastly, people want to build a personal connection. If you’re taking photos of your staff, showing the ins and outs of everyday life at your company or posting music recommendations, people feel more connected and are more likely to become your advocates.

Here are some high-level social media tips to use for your biz, from me to you:

1. Pick your channels and stick with them. If you only want to do Facebook, that’s fine! If you want to cast a wider net and add Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn etc. go for it! Just don’t spread yourself too thin by updating more pages than you have resources to update.
2. Create a posting schedule. Stay consistent! Post once a day, once every other day, whatever. If you’re consistent, people will start to remember when you post and they’ll come back to check out what’s new.
3. Create your “formula.”  If you have a more robust social schedule, keep your sanity by posting specific topics on specified days at specified times. For example, our LiquidPlanner Facebook page posts about our team lunch every Tuesday between 12 and 1 pm.
4. Be responsive. Try to “like,” retweet and comment back to any engagement on your pages. This will increase your engagement metrics and make your fans feel more important.
5. Try a call to action.  This is like adding prompts to your post, as in writing “Like this if you’re ready for Friday” with an accompanying photo, or, “Retweet this in support of … “ etc. If you ask people to do something as simple as liking a likeable post, they’ll probably do it.
6. Don’t be shy—share.  If you’re the social manger, don’t be afraid to like and share your company updates. People from your network might see it and engage with it too.
7. Test ads and create a good advertising plan. Ads are the #1 way to gain more fans quickly. Try different groups to target various campaigns and see where you get the most bang for your buck. If you can get below $1 per new fan, you’re doing great!
8. Be flexible and ready for anything – like the unexpected post. Also, don’t get too rigid in your planning! There are always events, special occasions and opportunities that might take priority over your next planned post. Either move one post out or allow for one extra spot in your schedule every day.