As we emerge from the COVID pandemic and many restrictions have been lifted, small businesses are trying to return to normal. However, one thing that has fundamentally changed is not only the need but the necessity of a strong internet presence.
Before many, many small businesses could get away with a simple website or “have a Facebook page,” and that was all they needed to “show up on Google” or get found. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case; things have changed. Your clients will first look you up in various places and do their research before contacting you.
You need to employ several different techniques to ensure you show up. Content marketing is one of the best. Content marketing is about creating value, relevance and attracting prospects with content that answers people’s questions. But you also need to promote it. Therefore one of the best tools for that is social media.
It wasn’t long ago that social media was viewed as a way for people to stay in touch and play games. But now, it has become a powerful marketing tool. Take a look at these statistics:
- Over 9 out of 10 marketers worldwide use Facebook, and almost 8 out of 10 use Instagram. (Source: Statista )
- With over 2.96 billion monthly active users as of Q4 2022, Facebook is the world’s largest online social network. (Source: Statista )
- & out of 10 American adults use Facebook (Source: Pew Research Center)
- An average American spends over half an hour per day on Facebook. (Source: Statista )
- The amount of time spent on social media by internet users is now higher than ever, over two and a half hours each day.
- The average person bounces between seven different social networks per month. (Source: DataReportal )
- TikTok is the fastest-growing social network, with a staggering 100% user growth rate between 2020 and 2022. (Source: Target Internet )
- Nearly 2 out of 10 LinkedIn users in the US log on daily, whereas almost 5 out of 10 do so monthly. (Source: Statista )
- 450 million people use Pinterest every month. (Source: Pinterest)
- Nearly 5 out of 10 Pinterest users in the US have a household income over $100K. (Source: Statista )
- TikTok is the most frequently used social media app worldwide, with users spending nearly 24 hours per month on the platform. (Source: DataReportal )
But the benefits of social media for content marketing go far beyond its volume and broad reach. Social media is a marketing tool that helps you give your prospects exactly what they want: interaction, engagement, and a level of trust. By building your small business’s brand and boosting your SEO, social media can help you reach the right people, at the right time, with the right message.
Top 7 Ways Social Media Can Increase Your Small Business's Content Marketing Efforts
1. Social Media Shows You Care
Social media can be a powerful tool for building relationships with your clients. You can connect with your target audience by providing relevant, informative, and entertaining content. And when you engage with your audience by responding to comments and criticism in a positive, problem-solving way, you can strengthen that connection even more. It all boils down to delivering the value today’s prospects expect to build relationships.
Your clients check you out on social media when looking and thinking about who they want to do business with. The more active you are on social media, the more they trust your small business. They’re not just looking for credibility and authority but also for someone who understands their business needs and can relate to them.
2. Social Media Builds Your Brand
Social media is also an excellent tool for building your small business’s brand awareness. When you use social media as a core component of your content marketing strategy, you create the building blocks for brand awareness. By sharing insights that inform your audience, you can build authority. By reaching your audience where they spend the most time online, you can garner a reputation for being tech-savvy and up-to-date. And by entertaining your audience, you can build a sense of trust and relatability.
Social media is a fast, easy, and inexpensive way to let your clients learn about your small business, you, your values, and the causes that are important to you. The images you post, the topics you discuss, and your overall tone will quickly help your prospects determine if they think you will fit their needs well. By meeting those needs with your content marketing on social media, your small business’s brand will become stronger as you increase your reach.
3. Social Media Fuels Content Creation
Social media can be a game-changer for your content marketing efforts if you run a small business. One of the best things about using social media as part of your content marketing strategy is the insider information and feedback you can get from your clients.
When you’re active on social media, you have access to more content ideas than you could ever use. Forums, online review sites, and other platforms that your clients frequent offer an almost endless supply of ideas for creating the content your audience craves. By browsing these platforms, you can discover what works for your audience and what doesn’t. You can also learn from your competitors’ interactions to see what’s successful and what’s not.
But the real value of social media comes from engaging your target audience directly. By getting direct experience and feedback from your clients, you can learn what’s most important to them and create content that meets their needs. Remember, your audience wants to find the right small business for their needs and will gladly fill you in on what matters most to them.
In summary, social media is a goldmine for small business owners looking to fuel their content marketing efforts with new and fresh ideas. By browsing the platforms your clients frequent, learning from your competitors, and engaging with your target audience, you can create content that meets your client’s needs and grows your small business.
4. Social Media Promotes Content to Help Establish Your Authority
As a small business owner, social media can be a powerful tool for establishing authority and growing your client base through content marketing. When you fully adopt social media, those digital platforms can help create a cycle of content and interaction that establishes your authority.
By taking the insights and feedback gained from social media, you can create valuable content for your audience and promote that content via social media to keep the cycle going. When you know exactly what type of content to create, you can post engaging content that attracts targeted prospects. Your prospects, in turn, share your content or comment on it, instantly increasing your reach to even more prospects.
By consistently reaching your audience this way, you can’t help but attract new clients to grow your small business. Social media is a powerful tool for establishing authority, promoting content, and growing your client base. So, keep creating and sharing valuable content with your audience and watch your small business grow.
5. Social Media Boosts SEO Organically
If you run a small business, social media can be a great way to boost your SEO organically through content marketing. While social media use isn’t a direct factor that affects your search engine rankings, there is a clear link between an active social media presence and the impact of SEO.
The more you use social media to interact and promote your content, the more exposure you create for your small business. This increased exposure and valuable content, combined with your other digital marketing efforts, help expand your reach beyond just your target audience. When your social media marketing reaches the level where you and your small business are considered to be authoritative and credible, relevant online influencers can begin to re-purpose or link to your content. This broader reach and the increased clout from being recognized by respected online authorities positively affect your SEO across your marketing efforts.
While paying to boost your SEO can be a viable option in some cases, nothing beats boosting your SEO organically through strong, long-lasting relationships with your clients. By consistently creating and sharing valuable content with your audience and engaging with them on social media, you can establish your authority, build your reputation, and boost your SEO organically. So, keep creating great content and promoting it on social media to take your small business to new heights.
6. Social Media Inspires Innovation
As a small business owner, social media can inspire innovation through content marketing, providing you stay open to the possibilities. When you engage with your clients on social media and build your reputation, the feedback you receive is bound to include ideas and directions you may not have considered before.
If you’re open to these insights and actively listening to your clients, you can expand your business offerings and appeal to a broader audience. When you ask relevant questions and listen to your audience, the information you discover will range far and wide, positive and negative. By tapping into this valuable information, you can find new ways to market your small business, explore new additions to your services and products, and maybe even discover the need to take your business in a whole different direction.
Innovation is essential for keeping an edge over your competition, and social media can provide you with plenty of fuel for innovation. Listen to what your clients tell you, and you’ll have valuable insights to help you grow your small business and stay ahead of the game. So, stay open to the possibilities and keep engaging with your clients on social media to inspire innovation in your small business.
7. Social Media Gets You Out of Your Comfort Zone
Regarding social media, don’t just stay in your comfort zone. Even though it won’t directly affect your marketing strategy, engaging with your clients through social media can be incredibly beneficial. As a small business owner, it’s easy to feel like you know everything about your industry and how to market it. However, client needs and wants constantly evolve, and you must stay on top of these changes to remain competitive.
Remember that social media is about social interaction. People want to connect with other people, not just faceless brands. So, don’t be afraid to show your personality and what makes you stand out from the competition. By building meaningful relationships with your clients, you’ll find that your content marketing becomes more effective and your business becomes more profitable. So, step out of your comfort zone and embrace the power of social media.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, social media is not just a platform for connecting with friends and family. It’s also a powerful tool for small businesses to establish their online presence, promote their brand, and attract new clients. By utilizing content marketing and social media together, you can engage with your clients, inspire innovation, and even boost your SEO organically. So, if you need help with your small business’s social media presence, don’t hesitate to contact me to get started. Let’s work together to take your small business to the next level.
