Among the biggest bits of “well duh” information that so-called experts continue to drill into the heads of small business owners is that they are dead without social media. This is common knowledge by now. It’s like stressing to a new car buyer that those nifty moving machines need gasoline to run.

Still, despite the wide spread use of social media and its many uses for growing small businesses, there are many brands that are just starting up and getting adjusted to the social media landscape. These people are likely going to have some questions as to how they can best utilize social media.

This is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, some people that have been using Facebook, Twitter and other popular social media platforms continue to have questions. While the scope of these questions changes over time, there are a few that remain constant.

So here are three of the most common questions and the boiled down, simplified answers.

How Do I Turn Social Media Followers into Customers? While there are no 100% proven strategies to get this done, there are a few approaches that seem to work more than others. This includes having a cross-platform presence (utilizing more than one social media outlet) and taking out inexpensive Facebook ads. Holding a contest is also a great way to turn passive followers into customers.

Can I use social media to provide customer service? This is actually becoming a very popular approach, as it directly connects your business with your customers in a personal way. It also shows the public via Facebook posts or Twitter feeds that you take the time to help your customers…and this could help you gain traction with new customers.

How can I keep track of my social media marketing efforts? Thankfully, there are many tools to keep track of what’s working and what isn’t. Facebook allows page administrators to see this sort of information. Also, on Twitter, using hashtags helps you see which of your topics and offers are trending. Most platforms have some form of tool to help you keep track of marketing efforts; it’s just a matter of learning the platform well.

What are some still-unanswered questions you have regarding social media?