How do you plan on using social media integration with the rest of your marketing strategy? We are constantly discussing how to use social media strategy for your business. What I realized is that we have not done enough social media integration with outside marketing efforts.

The reality is that most companies will not spend more than 25% of their budget and time on social media as they get started. So how can a small business owner use this time effectively to grow their business. Below are three different social media integration strategies to help a small business owner rocket off the ground.

3 Social Media Integration Strategies

1. Networking- Do you attend chamber meetings? What about breakfast referral groups? Night time events in your niche? Well, for those of you who do work the room and seek to build your network through networking then social media integration is a snap.

After every event, make sure that you log onto LinkedIn and Facebook. Connect with every business card in front of you  from the event. Send them a personal message on Facebook and/or LinkedIn reminding them where you met them and why you believe the two of you should connect. Make it brief and to the point. It is amazing how a little follow up does wonders for your business. Additionally, whenever you update your status through social networking you have the potential to let them know what you are up to as well.

2. Referrals/Repeat Business- Is your business based on referrals and repeat business? Well, the easy answer to that is to get your referrals and/or repeats connected to you through social media. If the industry you are in has sensitive information where you do not want other prospects to know each other connect with your referral partners and clients via LinkedIn through your personal profile. Then turn off access others have to your LinkedIn connections.

If it helps your clients to know each other and to have additional social proof that they are not your only client then create a Facebook page or LinkedIn company profile. Then make sure to stay active with your network there with interesting factoids, statistics, and helpful information along with events, company news, and special offers that you post throughout the year.

3. Direct Mail-Remember that guy who used to wander the neighbor hoods opening people’s mailbox, taking things from it, and replacing it with new goodies. What was his name? Oh yeah! The mailman! Got it! Direct mail is a bit more expensive than it used to be, but with the right campaign you can see some major benefits.

For example, let’s you say you own a local barbershop. You want to find clients for the shop and decide to send out a postcard to every person within a 1 mile radius of your barbershop. Great! You give half off your normal $20 price for a mens’ haircut (sorry ladies, I have no clue how much a women’s haircut costs) for first time visitors. While they are in the shop you have on each booth a sign that says, “Get an additional $5 off for liking and sharing our Fan Page at www.facebook.com/xxx before you leave the store.”

If you send out 2,000 postcards and get 50 visitors in the first month who take you up on that offer. Maybe 10-20 of those visitors will share your information on Facebook. The best part is that you have created a free sales force from local customers. Most local customers know other local prospective clients in the area. Plus, you can now update them on what is happening in the area on a regular basis through Facebook to make sure that they come back with your special offers and hair maintenance updates.

Social Media Integration Challenge

I just gave you three ways to use social media integration. What type of social media blog would this be if I did not go the extra social media step. Therefore, I invite everyone who is reading this blog to ask me either in a comment below or on my Facebook fan page to ask how they can integrate their social media with the rest of their marketing efforts. I will give you what I feel will be the greatest strategy that I believe you can use for your business. This offer is good until the the webinar at 8 PM CST  I am hosting tomorrow evening on Free Leads For Social Media.

Looking forward to your social media integration questions.