The Tweet Smell of Success

Social media is a critical tool for small businesses—despite the fact that it is demanding and time-consuming, and often leads to little immediate reward. Crain's Chicago Business has some tips on how to make the most of social media in your company.

Choose the right platform—Use analytic tools such as Google alerts to figure out whether your customers are more likely to spend their time on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn some other platform, or some combination. That is where you should focus your efforts.

Track what other people are saying about your business—If someone says something negative about your business, address it right away.

Avoid promotional content—It's more transparent than a piece of tissue paper. Talk about topics that are of related interest.

Don't respond directly to everyone and everything—You can feel free to send out a mass reply or thank you in many cases.

Be prepared to invest at least half an hour a day in social media—You can't do just a little social media. You need to make it a substantial part of your business day.