Take Credit for Using Social Media to Promote Your Business

For the small business owner who has been slow to the dance when it comes to social media, there are numerous advantages to using social networking to promote your business.

One such avenue that should be promoted is if you accept credit cards, let the consumer world by all means know about it. By accepting credit cards, your business stands one step ahead of those competitors who do not.

Despite reports that show more Americans are paying down credit card debt in hopes of getting their finances back in order, countless shoppers still turn to the plastic whether they buy in person or online. As a result, small businesses should use the various social media platforms available to them to promote their acceptance of such cards.

By accepting credit cards, small businesses can:

* Provide more convenience for customers who may not have available cash on hand when they want to purchase something from your business;

* Allow customers to purchase online in an efficient and secure manner. This is especially important given how more and more consumers like the option of browsing and shopping from a computer;

* Increase your credibility with consumers who see you as a mainstream business that is up to speed with their needs, along with the fact that you have staying power;

* Benefit from customers buying more. In many instances, customers will spend more when they can charge something as opposed to paying out of pocket cash.

So, if you are not already using social media sites to go with the standard ways of advertising you accept credit cards, which SM venues should you turn to? 

Here’s a snapshot of some of the sites you should consider to market the fact you accept credit cards:

* Facebook - If you do not already, put in place a fan page for consumers to come to. Make sure you engage consumers who come to the site, answering any and all their questions. You can also use the page to offer special deals, including opportunities to save money if they sign up for a credit card company that you may have partnered with. Lastly, be sure to post links back to your website and/or blog so that consumers visit your site regularly. As they do, there is a good chance if you offer online goods and services that they will use their credit cards to make purchases;

* Twitter - Much like Facebook, use your company Twitter page to include relevant information about your business, including the fact you accept credit cards. Make sure you also engage visitors on your Twitter page, retweeting their content/comments if it makes sense to your business. By retweeting, you stand to gain more attention and potentially more followers. You can also engage other companies via the site, and should also offer contests like mentioned above to attract more followers;

* Pinterest - The newer player on the block, this site provides you with great visual opportunities to promote your brand. The goal here is to upload images and ask consumers to comment on them. You can also run contests or offer deals and prizes for those who “re-pin” the most of your material. Again, promoting images of shoppers using their credit cards to buy products and services from you is a great way to advertise you offer this option.

Whether you have offered customers credit cards for some time now or are just getting into the swing of things, using social media outlets to promote this option makes sense.

In fact, it may make you a lot of cents.

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