Nov 25, 2016 10:55 AM EST By Audri Taylors, UniversityHerald Reporter

Many entrepreneurs and small businesses dive into the use of social media when it comes to marketing strategies with the goal of attracting more leads and sales. However, instead of achieving what they hoped for, they end up wasting time, money and effort. But it does not have to be this way. Here are the ways by which you can grow your brand through social media.

• Join a Facebook group. If you are considering to start with a small business or if you already have one, it would be a lot easier for you if you create a dedicated page on Facebook where you can share information, promotion and announcements to your followers fast. However, the downside with having a page is that the conversation tends to be one sided only. If you join a group, you are increasing your chances of getting seen by other people.
• Don't limit yourself to just Facebook, there are other social media platforms where you can establish your social media presence like Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.
• Create your original content. Your goal is to stand out and not to be like the rest of them that's already visible on social media. You should make your brand unique and authentic so that your profile does not look and feel the same as others.
• Take time to engage and interact with your followers and when you do it, it must be sincere. Feel free to post anything that comes from your heart and something that you think will be beneficial to your followers.
• You cannot please everyone so don't be like the small business owners who always make the mistake of apologizing a lot on social media even when there's no need to.

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