Businesses in the digital age rely on a strong online presence to stand a chance against stiff competition. This explains why many SMBs are turning to social media marketing. And with platforms like Facebook with a global audience of 1.8 billion users, the time to leverage the right tools to your advantage is now.

Many small- and medium-sized businesses are abandoning traditional marketing methods in favor of social media platforms, and for good reason. Take Pinterest, for example, whose latest product “DIY Promoted Pins” allows businesses to promote their Pins to increase click-throughs, improve reach, and potentially drive more website traffic.

Many small- and medium-sized businesses utilize some type of social media or content marketing strategy. But since your competitors are possibly using similar platforms, you have to constantly find new ways to make your company stand out. Here are some tips to leverage the power of social media and content marketing to your business’s advantage:

Come up with and implement a media crisis management plan
It’s normal for businesses to go through a crisis or two.

eCommerce websites take longer to create than regular websites. That’s because finding the right plugins and fine-tuning other components such as the blog page takes a lot of time. Only when you’re certain that everything’s in place should you go live with your website.

With more and more social media platforms popping up all the time, it can be tough to keep track of social media policies and assess their effectiveness. However, if you fail to review them annually, your employees might get so obsessed with what's trending on Twitter that they miss their deadlines.

The 21st century is the age of social media, with a plethora of outlets available, users are spoilt for choice. Business owners are faced with the same dilemma, between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and about thirty more - which one should they invest in? It’s important that the platform is simple, interactive, and touches base with numerous users with every post.

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of social media is Facebook and for good reason. Not only does it boast the most users, but it also has the biggest reach and cultural impact. Since there is no one-size-fits-all social media platform, it’s imperative for small- and medium-sized businesses to examine their options before making an investment.

Besides looking like an early version of Cyclops from The X-Men, what’s with all the hype on virtual reality? How much of a difference can be made by slipping ourselves into a three-dimensional world? For businesses, operating with the same routine day in and day out can be quite monotonous for employees.

If you aren’t a celebrity or a multimillionaire capable of purchasing millions of Twitter followers, it’s quite hard to establish a notable online presence these days, especially if you’re a small- or medium-sized business. It’s undeniable that the benefits of a strong online presence on prominent social media platforms such as Twitter are numerous.

When it comes to the online security of their business, many SMB owners consider it an afterthought. They think their business is too small to be of any concern to cyber criminals, and there’s good reason for this mentality. How often are security breaches to SMBs listed in the news? Rarely.