Maximize your presence on social media

The best business ideas may be right in front of you, literally. That’s what happened to José Ramírez, a contractor by profession. On a work visit to Vieques, he missed the ferry to return to the main island. Waiting for the next ferry, and stuck at the pier with no transportation, a motorcyclist inspired him to establish his scooter business on the small island. Two years later, Scooters For Rent now has a fleet of 13 scooters and two small all-terrain vehicles to rent to tourists who visit the island. All of his marketing is online, through his web site and social media. His need: to take maximum advantage of social media. We put José in contact with Janna Ramírez, an account executive at Contáctica, a digital innovation and marketing firm, who helped José with recommendations that can also help your business get the best results from your presence on social media. Janna’s suggestions covered three main areas: • Content: Publish the company’s logo in the profile of the business without any other element that could distract attention. On the home page, be sure to publish a photo or image without text that communicates the value of the experience of buying your product or service. For example, in the case of Scooters for Rent, the recommendation is that the photo shows a Vieques landscape (the sunrise from a mountain, for example), with the vehicle in the foreground. As for posts, he prefers graphics over text, and better yet if they are photos and videos, to capture the attention of followers. It is also important to update content frequently; daily, if possible. • Investment: Social media such as Facebook require a minimum investment of $1.00 per day, which lets you expand your reach on the site and increase exposure to important groups. Set aside a modest budget to promote your most attractive posts. • Interaction: Be sure to answer all the comments and messages you receive on social media. It is important to establish relationships with these customers, making them feel they are attended to, even at a distance. If you put these recommendations into practice, you will be sure to maximize your business’ digital market and, like José, make it even more popular.   This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of accuracy or applicability for any particular purpose. Neither Popular, Inc. (“Popular”) nor any of its affiliates, subsidiaries or related companies shall be liable for, any special, direct, indirect, or incidental damages including but not limited to loss of profits, that may arise from of be related to information or advice provided in this article, which was created by a third party. Popular provides financial services and is not dedicated (directly or indirectly) to providing any type of service related to the contents of this article. Should you require any service related to this content, you should seek the advice of a competent professional of your choice. Popular expressly denies all liability for any such advice.