How to Navigate the Social Media Maze

:( Sorry! Your browser cannot play this video either because javascript is disabled or your browser is not HTML5 compatible. Try Chrome or Firefox.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ … it's easy to get lost in the sea of social media. At Summer NAMM 2013, Grant Billings of Billings Piano Gallery showed how music retailers can develop the best social media strategy for their stores. He also explored how to use that strategy on a daily basis to connect with customers and build a brand. Here are a few of his best ideas. (Watch the video for the full session.) • "Steal" social media content from such sources as the NAMM Daily News e-blast, the National Association of Music Parents' Facebook page, other retailers' Facebook pages and your own website. "You put fantastic stuff on your website, and then you forgot about it because you're busy and we move onto the next thing," Billings said. "Dig in there. About once a week, I like to post something, not necessarily sales-related, but maybe education-related or product-related without saying, 'I have this marked down this amount.'" • Use a social media management system. Billings said he prefers <a href="https://hootsuite.com">HootSuite</a> and recommended that fellow music retailers pay extra for the professional version. • Periodically re-evaluate your social media strategy. "Just like any marketing effort, you're going to go back and take a look—like you look at your past sales—and you're going to say, 'OK, over the last month, what kind of things did people react to?'" Billings said. "Memes are absolutely huge—whether you like them or not, those cartoons with a whimsical quote on them. Post one that was successful over and over because you're getting new followers all the time, and the attention span in social media is short—really short."