October 22, 2012

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As a career coach, I consult clients who are still in the early stages of developing their small business concept. In working with entrepreneurs, I’ve started to notice a common trend that limits their business growth before they even launch.

The dilemma that many new entrepreneurs face when starting a business is a state of sluggishness — a position of waiting.

It’s as if they are waiting for a significant moment of clarity that indicates they have it all figured out — a perfect understanding of their niche offering and complete confidence in their business idea. For some small business owners, they simply ‘wait’ to put the wheels of their business in motion until this ‘a-ha!’ moment occurs.

Starting Social Media Efforts Early

When I’m coaching entrepreneurs, the state of waiting is especially visible when it comes to developing online marketing plans and social media marketing efforts –  particularly getting started with Twitter.

Most small business owners are aware of the opportunity that social media presents to connect with potential customers and realize that there is a need to build their online presence to engage with them. However, they don’t see the point of starting to communicate on social media platforms until everything is crystal clear.

This is a huge mistake and here’s why.

No matter how great your business idea is or the uniqueness of your offering, company website and branding — if no one knows you exist all of your efforts are useless.

Ask yourself this:

What good is it to invest heavily in a funky, cutting-edge business website without preparing marketing strategies to increase awareness and let people know it exists?

The thing with online marketing, specifically using social media networks such as Twitter, is that it takes time to leverage its power.

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