Leslie's Sharebook 

SMEs and startups can do very well if they get their name out there. Unlike the consumer culture of previous years where big brands hold all the credibility, social media now allows smaller operations to showcase their products and services to people who area actually interested in them.

So if you’re an entrepreneur with a startup or an SME, here are great ways to get your product out there:

1. Create a Facebook page for your store.

Usually, people want to see your products in a pleasing and easy manner to navigate. What better way than to use something they all know and love? With a Facebook page, your store can reach other people’s walls. Ask your friends and customers to like your page so their own friends can see your updates too.

2. Market your products and services on large shopping and deals sites.

Put your wares up on ebay, craigslist, Amazon or Ensogo so people who regularly view these sites get to know you and your products. Most prudent buyers search about your products after seeing your advertisements in hope for better prices or more detailed descriptions or more choices. If the buyer isn’t prudent, they buy your product anyway. What’s to lose?

3. Set up different business phone numbers

Even if you’ve subscribed to so many online services and put up a profile and an online store on every social media page, your phone numbers need to be able to handle all the inquiries and phone calls that come after. Actually talking to a customer is actually a great way for you to foster a relationship and keep the person or organization coming back to you for their specific needs. You can also go one step further by acquiring toll free numbers that let your customers call you for free.

4. If you have handmade products, make an Etsy page

Etsy is the place for entrepreneurs who make all their wares by hand. If you have handmade items or services, you can make an Etsy page and show off your wares there. What’s great is that there are free services for people who just want to put up their wares on the internet through Etsy.

5. Put up online ads on social media networks.

If you’ve made a Facebook page, why don’t you go a little further and pay for some small ads. Usually, these ads target users that visit pages similar to your products and services. Depending on the service you use, some sites only charge you for how many people actually click your ads, which means you only pay for the actual page views and not the ads themselves.

One of the things you have to remember about putting your business up online is that it’s still about traffic. Ask your friends and family to like or share your photos, pages and products so that you can appear on their walls, effectively appearing on their friends’ walls.