Social media is a critical part of sales and marketing.
You engage with your customers and promote your services or products.
You can also use social media for advertising, promotional giveaways, and for sharing your knowledge.
However, for small businesses, social media can look different than a corporation or big company due to limited resources and budget.
Despite this difference, social media marketing has repeatedly proven its benefits, especially for small businesses.
Is social media really that good for business?
According to the Sensis Social Media study:
24% of Australians use social media to follow brands or businesses
54% are keen on discounts and giveaways from brands and businesses they follow
64% of people are more likely to trust a brand if they interact with consumers in a positive way on social media
Facebook is the most popular for business, followed by LinkedIn and then Instagram and Twitter
How can social media help small businesses?
Well, in a few ways:
Keeps you front of mind/in front of potential customers as they see the posts in their news feed
Each post can be used to highlight a specific service/function/benefit and over time the regular posts let potential customers know about your product
Helps you build a brand personality that people know/like/trust
You can engage directly with your audience via responding to messages and comments directly
You can design advertising campaigns that suit your target audience
Studies show that a large number of people look to social media to research/find products to buy, and that social media is one of the main sources people use when looking for more information about a product brand, or service
You can utilise the option to use a "buy" button on social media that would make people more likely to buy something online
It’s a great way to share ‘organic’ content (i.e. your own content)
Social Media Content: What to post?!
First, you need to think about who is your target audience? Large business? Small business? Students? Parents? Knowing your target audience will help you define points.
Then you need to come up with content ideas. I know it can be hard to think of things to share on your business Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, or Instragram account! But if you can use a mix of content, this will keep followers engaged.
Think of what advice you can offer, tips you can share, or insights you can give.
Does your business have an event or anniversary coming up?
Have you just added a new team member?
Have you attended some events recently?
Are there any businesses you collaborate with that you can 'tag' in a post?
What questions would you love to ask your followers?
Do they prefer your Green or Yellow packaging?
Don't be afraid to think outside the box!
Use a mix of:
Images
Videos
Photos
Blog posts
Reviews
Testimonials
Infographics
Quotes or tips
Events / check-ins
Links to industry articles
Use a mix of ‘curated content’ and ‘created content’
Created Content
Put simply, created content is content you have created yourself (or via a designer etc). So, if you have written a blog or created a graphic (or paid a copywriter/VA to do it for you!) then this is your content.
Curated Content
Curated content is simply the term used for everything else! Content you have gathered from other sources: existing articles you might like to share, social media posts from other sites that you “share” and re-tweet etc.
Build your audience, test your content
To build your audience you need to be constantly offering value in your content. And ensure all your social media links are in every piece of marketing they can be: on your email signature and on all listings etc. So put your LinkedIn profile and Facebook page link EVERYWHERE!
Also, make sure you are responding to comments – engagement is the key!
And, make sure you are checking your analytics – Facebook has some great insights into the best times to post based on your unique audience and which content is popular.
In summary....
Tackle your social media strategy with a simple plan: decide what sort of content you want to share, how often and on which platforms, and then enjoy creating.
However, if you don’t enjoy creating or finding content, then send me a message and I can take care of it for you!
Want to read more blogs to improve your social media?
Learn how to get better at "Managing your “socials”
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