Social media has changed the way many of us interact, do business and, to a degree, live our lives. Networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are fantastic for marketing yourself and your business and newer platforms like Periscope and Blab are opening up new channels to reach potential customers. It’s all well and good using social media to promote your business, but are you using it in the most effective way? How many companies have you seen you seem to have forgotten that it’s supposed to be social? Dry product launches, spammy links and generic information are just some of the ways in which some companies choose to use their social media accounts. To create any sort of rapport with potential clients, it needs to be social. The clue’s in the name, guys!  Lots of small businesses feel that they need to have social media accounts just because everyone else seems to have them. They pump out the same old content over and over just to be seen to be doing something. But if they’re not going to use social media to actively engage with their clientele then it can be a waste of time. Getting a conversation going with customers on social media can help build a connection between your business and prospective customers, and you can also learn a lot about them, their needs and their experiences. Companies that don’t join the conversation, don’t produce interesting content and don’t treat social media as a two-way street will be easily forgotten when it the time comes for those customers to do business. A company that listens, ask questions and provides help and advice will make a much deeper impression. As Tim Elliot mentions in this episode, people don’t engage with products and services, they engage with people. And if you’re hiding away behind a logo on social media, many customers will be put off. Getting out there and sharing some of yourself along with your business can have a fantastic effect on how people view you and your company. Tim’s joining us on this episode your favourite small business podcast to share his ideas on how to get the most out of social media as well as some of the things to avoid. Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast: How can I put the social back into social media? About Tim: Tim Elliott is a digital marketing manager, social media strategist, social media coach and noted speaker on all things social media. Tim prefers to look at things more simply, and refers to himself as a marketer. Tim has been working in the online marketing space for many years and has a wealth of expertise on using social media to help businesses to grow. He’s here with us on the number one small business podcast to help us put the social back into social media.  Tim’s Actionable Tips: * If you use scheduling tools for social media, remember to be ready to respond after a message has been posted. People will expect you to engage with them so you need to be ready to jump into the conversation. If you’re not there to engage with your followers, it will be a bad experience for them. * Don’t be afraid to be yourself. People want to do business with people and learn more about the personality behind the company. Allowing people to engage with you through social media can have a great effect on your business. * Listen more than you talk. There are so many conversations that are taking place on social media that you should be aware of. You can learn a great deal about your customers and their needs by listening to them. Top Quotes: Tim’s Links: * Tim’s Site (http://www.timelliottuk.com/) * Tim’s Twitter (a href="https://twitter.