Three Tips for Finding Customers Via Social MediaWhen it comes to using sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to find customers, persistence and focus are vital.

ByDiana Ransom

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Three Tips for Finding Customers Via Social MediaFinding customers via a social media can seem like a mammoth -- or even ludicrous -- task, especially when time is such a precious commodity. But the numbers are hard to ignore:Facebookhas more than 500 million users, whileTwitterhas more than 175 million. According tocomScore, 171 million American Internet users watched online video content -- mainly at YouTube -- in January 2011 for an average of 14.5 hours per viewer. And then about 4 percent of adults who use the Web also use location-based services like Foursquare and Gowalla, notedthe Pew Research Center.

To put it another way, millions of your potential customers are using these sites. Don't you think it's time you do too?

We asked Jeffrey Carr, a marketing professor and the executive director of New York University's Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies to break out his best tricks for finding customers via social media. For even more of Carr's insights into finding customers, see our story:Using Social Media to Find the Right Customers.

Wavy Line
Diana Ransom is the former deputy editor of Entrepreneur.com.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's Family 'Stranded' at Boston Airport During 9-Hour Delay: 'We Made Quite a Home Here'

The actors spent $600 on pillows and blankets while waiting for their flight.

领导

There Are 2 Types of Entrepreneurs — And This Is the One You Want to Be. Here's Why.

By honing a few strategic leadership abilities, you'll be able to reach new levels — ensuring that your business is running smoothly and ready for whatever comes next.

Innovation

How Tragedy Can Ignite a Passion for Healing — 7 Steps For Those Dealing With Grief

My journey with business success, personal loss, grief and a Fellowship at Harvard

Marketing

How ChatGPT Is Changing Digital Marketing (for Better or Worse)

The current state-of-play strengths, weaknesses and potential of this breakthrough tech, and why owners and other execs should be aware of its capability gaps.

Starting a Business

10 Ways to Create a Startup Dream Team

Get tips on how to form an effective founding startup team, focusing on hiring the right culture fits, creating a flexible structure and fostering a feedback-rich environment.