Everywhere there are articles that tell businesses that they must have a social media presence—Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, to name three. It seems overwhelming to many small business owners and nonprofit managers already putting in long hours. But research and experience shows that there are rewards. For most people, especially those under 35, this environment is their life. They seem to live on Facebook and tweet about everything! For others it is frightening, foreign territory and simply makes no sense. Look at your market and find out where they are. If you aren't sure, just ask them.

A question I often get asked by clients is, "Do I have to?" The answer, as always is, "It depends."

The first thing you have to know is, where do your customers hang out? The audience for each of these social media sites is different, so you might benefit from having an active presence on one or some of them, but not necessarily all. For a start, here is my take on Facebook.

Most Facebook users are using it to talk about their daily lives, where they are, what they do with their time and what causes they support. They like to recommend a restaurant or service and be kept up to date on specials and product offerings. That means you want to be with them as they make decisions on how they use their money. This platform is excellent for that. According to socialbakers.com, there are over 17 million Canadians on Facebook (just a hair over the total population) and 50% of them are in the 18-35 age group. Fifty-four percent are female. If these numbers reflect your target market, you MUST have a presence for your business or organization on Facebook.

A client of ours, Atomic Cupcakes in Waterdown, Ontario uses Facebook well. The bakery changes cupcake flavours daily so Facebook is a great way to announce it with posts on their Facebook page. When someone likes the page, they receive daily updates on what flavours are on offer - with mouth-watering photos. Who wouldn't like that? Customers can also post pictures of themselves enjoying a cupcake. What a great avenue for endorsements and recommendations!

For charities and nonprofits, Facebook is a great way to keep your donors and supporters engaged. As a board member on a small nonprofit, I hear from donors regularly. Their feedback is consistent: keep me informed and show me how I'm making a difference if you want my donations to continue. Our nonprofit, Home of Grace Care Centre, does keep people updated. We report on board member visits, updates on the orphans and even post videos of the children singing. And it works. People like to receive these updates.

If you think it's too much work to do Facebook for your business, it isn't - especially when you consider the potential rewards. You don't have to write paragraphs. A sentence or two will do. In fact, short and sweet is better. Don't feel you have to be constantly posting. In fact, if you over-post, people tend to ignore you. Do not post more than once a day. So what do you post? Here are a few ideas: Specials, sales, new product or service, contests, boast about achievements, or recognize your employee of the month.

What about nonprofits? Do you have a critical need? Recognize a volunteer. Post a meaningful statistic about the population you serve. Boast about a milestone achieved. One charity I help, Micah House Refugee Reception Services, posts about needs of its clients and updates about the status of the house that are useful for volunteers and donors.

You can see that the possibilities are endless and if it's only a sentence or two, it can be fast. But like all marketing, you need a plan. How often will you post? What will you say? As the saying goes, "Measure twice and cut once." You could even create a schedule of posts so implementation is even faster.

At the same time, we don't often see people on Facebook talking about industrial valves or payroll services. Some B2B companies have made a foray into Facebook, question the value. Can readers of this article share their B2B Facebook experiences?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Regardless, I invite you to join the conversation…

A client, who is a consultant, recently commented that the positioning statement on his letterhead (similar to a tag line, the phrase that describes what you are all about) seemed to be too narrow. He was getting more work in other non-core fields. He told me that he was even getting comments from potential clients to that effect. He worried that it was limiting him to the detriment of his business. The question he posed was: should he change the positioning statement to reflect the broader scope of his offerings?

While this question was posed by a self-employed consultant, it is a question that will face every business, nonprofit and charity – who are we and what do we really do?

Every organization will evolve over time. In fact, it is a positive sign that it is changing to keep pace with their market. At the same time, it challenges the very identity of the business or organization and the competencies it offers.

The short answer to my client’s question is that, if it is misrepresenting you, then it should be changed.

The long-form answer is that it's not that simple, it’s a balancing act. You need to consider whether you really want to increase business in the new, non-core field. If the original area of competence is where you want to stay focused, then stick with it in your marketing. Stay focused, competent and confident with what you do. Don’t let opportunities in these other areas distract you from your goals. Any work you land outside that core competence should be considered gravy. Don’t lose sleep worrying about lost business in areas that are not part of your core competence.

However, if you want to grow in these other areas, embrace it completely. In other words, make it a strategic decision.

That means you must change your marketing appropriately. Your marketing should always be designed to attract the kind of clients you want to have – the ones that make you profitable and fire the passion that keeps you going every day – not necessarily the kind of clients you actually have. See the difference?

If you do decide to branch out, you might not be able to just tack the new offering on to your list of services or products. People want to be clear about what you do or sell so they know when to call. If your marketing is too vague, complicated or conflicting, they no longer know. A long laundry list of what you do is also not good, since it makes the prospect have to work too hard to figure out if your business is a good fit. Think of what common threads there are with everything you offer. That may be the terminology you adopt. But, be careful, go for a description that everybody clearly understands. Poetic phrasing or jargon will add to the confusion, not clear it up.

What do you think? Do you have a personal experience to share? Join the conversation and leave a comment.

Trade shows are a proven way to increase business and recognition. I recently had a conversation with a client who decided they wanted to try their hand at trade show marketing. They asked me how to make the most of their investment. Sometimes a good way to be noticed is think outside the box – er, the booth. These ideas involve an additional expense beyond booth rental, but they can be well worth it.

1. Sponsorships:
Sponsor a workshop, coffee break, reception or local site tour. Usually there are sponsorships to fit all budgets. Choose the sponsorship wisely. It should – no, it must – be something where your ideal clients will be gathering. You want to target the decision makers or important influencers in the buying process. If you can arrange to be a sponsor to a facility where your product or service is being used, that would be brilliant! Attend the event you are sponsoring. That way you are on hand to chat with people and exchange business cards. You may even get to answer a question, which shows off your expertise (but don’t upstage the presenters of a workshop). Sometimes sponsorships make you eligible for prime booth space, too.