While social media platforms started out as a way to collaborate and interact with friends and family, they’re now a great way to share information, announcements and videos about your business, too. Whether you're targeting consumers, distributors or partners, social media can help you reach them directly.

1. Know where to find your audience

"Word of mouth" has always influenced purchasing decisions. Social media has amplified this power exponentially by increasing the number of potential contacts and the speed of message delivery. While there are several platforms to communicate directly with your customers, they're not all suited for your business. To be effective, identify those that meet your goals and your customer profile. Then, develop your presence. With experience, you’ll be able to adapt your messaging to a specific type of person. You’ll also learn when and when not to publish content about your business. For example, to optimize visibility on Facebook and Twitter, it's better to publish early in the afternoon, ideally from Friday. LinkedIn, on the other hand, sees more traffic very early in the morning and late in the afternoon when people step out of their offices.

2. Work with web influencers

Get inspired by web personalities: the famous influencers. These are people whose strong presence in social media allows them to influence the buying or consuming behaviour of those who follow them. Connect with them and launch original campaigns, making best use of their notoriety, visibility and mastery of one or more social media. In turn, this will have a direct impact on your own visibility, helping you maximize your presence on social media and develop your business.

3. Use videos to captivate your audience

Whether they stand out for their humour, intelligence or strength of their message, viral videos can spread information quickly – on a massive scale and at a low cost. But becoming viral isn’t easy. Opt for short videos of less than 2 minutes. Before you start, surround yourself with talented partners to write scripts and film the video. You will publish a clear message, which will raise viewer curiosity and invite them to click on your site.

4. Remember to teach and inform

It's important to offer value-added quality content that goes beyond simply advertising your products or services. Answer questions consumers often ask, share experiences, offer tutorials or instructions, and provide advice on topics related to your products. Interesting content generates better exposure.

5. Become an expert in your field

To become an expert who is consulted when needed, you must first earn a reputation as a reliable and credible professional. You must ensure the relevance and accuracy of any information you publish. Nothing beats interaction to promote relevance. As social media invites everyone to express him or herself, you can regularly answer questions and reactions raised by your readers.

There’s no magic here: social media success requires attention, work and regularity. To leverage this great tool, it's best to be well equipped and well advised. But the investment is worth it, especially considering the low costs and high returns.