SIUE cougar

Guide to Web Presence for Small Business

Presented by Dr. Hester's CMIS 300 course at SIUE

Social Media & Content Sites

Social Media and Content Sites are web applications that enable users to participate in social networking or to create and share content such as images and videos. Small businesses can use Social Media & Content Sites to establish an online brand presence, connect with followers, and engage consumers with content relevant to products and services. Social Media & Content Sites allow a business to maintain and build relationships beyond a single face-to-face interaction.

The six most relevant websites for this avenue are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and YouTube. See the following steps for getting started with these websites. Additional websites you may want to consider include Google+ and Pinterest.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking tool that allows you to establish connections with business associates, industrial experts, and potential job candidates. LinkedIn allows you to stay in touch with your connections or discover new professional opportunities.

  1. Go to https://www.linkedIn.com/
  2. If you already have a LinkedIn account, you can sign in on the upper right hand corner
  3. If you do not have a LinkedIn account, you can provide your information in the middle of the screen and click 'Join Now'
  4. Once you have an account, you can start to provide relevant information such as experience, featured skills and endorsements, accomplishments, and begin connecting with professionals

Facebook

Facebook is a social networking site that allows users to create profiles and connect with friends. Small businesses can use Facebook to create a company page and connect to consumers.

  1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/
  2. First, you will need to sign up for a personal account
  3. From your personal account, you can click the 'Create Page' link
  4. Select 'Local Business or Place' and provide your business information
  5. Maintain the page through your personal account

Twitter

Twitter is an online news and social network service that allows users to post and interact with “tweets”. A tweet is a message that can contain text, photos, videos, etc. Small businesses can use this social media platform to promote their business and connect with followers, building valuable relationships with consumers.

  1. Go to https://www.twitter.com/
  2. If you already have a Twitter account, you can click 'Log in' in the upper right hand corner
  3. If you do not have a Twitter account, create one by clicking the 'Sign Up' button
  4. Provide a valid phone number, username and password
  5. Once created, you can begin to customize your profile by adding photos and other media such as videos, etc.

Tumblr

Tumblr is a microblogging social networking site which allows users to post multimedia and other content to a short form blog.

  1. Go to https://www.tumblr.com/
  2. Click 'Sign Up' or 'Get Started' (Follow Steps to sign up)
  3. Start off by selecting what you’re into as a business to setup your feed
  4. You can now begin posting photos or blog posts using the toolbar just under the search bar

Ways that Tumblr can be used to promote your business.

Instagram

Instagram is a mobile photo sharing and service allowing users to share pictures and videos either publicly or privately.

  1. Go to https://www.instagram.com/
  2. Choose to either login with 'Facebook' or 'Sign up'with your own account information
  3. In the top right there is an icon of a person (click that)
  4. Choose 'Edit Profile' to change your name, as well as attach your website information
  5. Download the Instagram App to upload your photos

Ways that Instagram can help promote your business.

YouTube

YouTube is video sharing website that allows users to upload, view, rate, share, and comment on videos.

  1. Go to https://www.youtube.com/
  2. On the right hand side there is a 'sign up'/'log-in button'
  3. To create a YouTube account, you must create a Google.com account
  4. Once the Google account is created, you can use that to sign into YouTube
  5. In the menu bar on the left click on 'My Channel'
  6. Once there, you can add channel art, descriptions, a profile picture, and upload your first video

Ways that YouTube can be used to promote your business.