Just how important is social media marketing for your small business? Which social media platforms are the best for connecting with prospects and promoting your business? Should you use paid advertising on social media or is it a waste of time and money? Get answers to these questions and more as you consider creating a social media marketing strategy for your business.

In this episode, host Mary Foley talks with Shannon Loy, owner of The Social Ginger, a social media consultant who understands that as a small business owner you may not have time to eat your lunch, much less create sparkling content to post on social media every day. That's why she and her team do social media strategy, management, advertising, and training for small business owners.

Listen and learn:

• Startling research that reveals just how much time people spend on social media
• Which social media platforms you should seriously consider for marketing your business
• If you or should not separate your personal and business life on social media
• The best number of social media platforms to be on to promote your business
• The biggest social media marketing mistakes that small business owners make
• Why Facebook advertising is so popular and what to know before you get started