As of 2022, more than 4.7 Billion people all over the world are active on at least one social media platform (Source: Smart Insights). This represents 93.6% of all internet users. Almost all internet users have a social media account - most are active on multiple platforms.
As a small business owner, you cannot afford to ignore these numbers. Social media marketing has to be a key component of your marketing strategy.
But digital marketing can be an overwhelming endeavor for business owners that aren’t tech savvy. No need to worry, though. You don’t need to be a techie or a marketing expert to reap the benefits of social media marketing. Here are some tips that you can use to promote your business on social media.
Have a Plan
To make the most out of your social media marketing efforts, you need a plan. Here are some important questions you need to answer: What are my marketing goals? Who am I targeting with my marketing? What is my budget? Which social media platforms should I focus on?
Having a plan makes your social media marketing more focused and gives it targets to aim toward. Part of having a plan is learning as much as you can about social media marketing strategies. It also helps to observe how your competitors, and other businesses operating within your market, are leveraging social media.
While there are many actions and processes involved in the planning stage, the most important is knowing your target audience. As a business owner, you should know the market segments that need your products and/or services. Having a customer profile enables you to choose the right social media platforms to focus your marketing efforts. Your intended audience also determines the messaging in your marketing.
Don’t Be Afraid to Infuse Your Personality
Giant brands and multinational corporations will often have a bland and sanitized approach to social media. This works for them as they are trying to have the broadest possible appeal. This is not the case with small businesses. Customers who prefer supporting small businesses do so because of the human factor.
Infusing some of your personality will remind your customers, and potential clients, that they are not dealing with a faceless, soulless corporation. Add a little humor to your social media posts, and be a little playful with your customer engagement.
Luke Buesnel, Founder of Story League, says that showing some personality helps potential customers identify with you and your brand. You can chime in on local ongoing issues to show followers that you are an active part of their community. Talk about your personal journey as an entrepreneur and what your brand stands for. This way, you will stand out from a crowded marketplace.
Advertise on Social Media
One of the main appeals of social media is that you can use the medium at minimal - even zero- cost. Creating an official account and engaging your clients doesn’t cost money on the most popular platforms. That being said, paid adverts on social media could just be the boost your business needs to operate at the next level.
No other medium can target a demographic like social media. All major social media platforms have tools to help you target your preferred demographics. This is true for Google Ads (including YouTube), Facebook (including Instagram), Twitter, and TikTok. For example, if you are a diapers retailer, your ad can be shown to new parents within your markets. There is a growing concern about the sheer amount of data social media companies retain on their users. But from a marketing standpoint, all that data allows for high-precision consumer targeting. Even better, social media advertising is not that expensive for small businesses.
Choose Quality Over Quantity
Social media is a useful marketing platform, but you need to realize that no one logs into their socials to see ads and marketing content. According to Statista:
- Nearly 50% of people use social media to connect with loved ones
- 35.1% use it to keep abreast of current events
- 23.8% use to watching live streams
Posting too much will clog your followers’ feeds, and that usually leads to them unfollowing your account or even blocking you. Make sure that your posting schedule is regular without being annoying. It also helps to provide value with your posts. Provide useful tips as well as entertaining facts and titbits. If you're an online clothing boutique, give your users information on the latest trends; if you are a local produce grocer, post some healthy recipes. People will be more receptive to your ads and marketing content when presented alongside entertaining and useful posts.
You need to remember that most social media platforms allow their users to block ads from certain brands. So, when your social media marketing is too intrusive to your audience’s overall social media experience, you might lose them permanently.
Engage Your Followers
Social media gives you a platform to address the market, and it also allows your audience to reach out to you directly. More importantly, most of these interactions will be public and thus contribute to how your brand will be perceived. Brands that have successfully harnessed the power of social media are those that are proactive in engaging their fanbase.
When someone has positive things to say about your business, thank them. You can even repost their feedback from your official account. When someone has negative feedback, acknowledge it and engage with them to understand why they were unsatisfied with their experience with you. Show class and grace in all your interactions.
Engagement is not just responding to feedback. Ask your followers for suggestions regarding how to improve, and the products/services they want you to include. Host regular Q&A sessions where you are available for at least an hour to answer any customer concerns in real-time. Have promotions and giveaways that are exclusive to your social media followers. Keeping your social media fan base happy and engaged will do wonders to your brand reputation. What's more, they will be more likely to promote your brand to their social media following.
Analyze and Optimize
Knowing the type of content or advertising format that your audience will positively respond to is not an exact science. Trends and opinions change multiple times every day on social media.
Even digital marketing veterans experience a few misses. Whenever you post something, go through the analytics to see how it has performed. Luckily, most social media platforms will provide analytic tools to their advertisers and business users.
See which posts successfully engage your following, and use them more often. Try to understand why certain posts fail with engagement. Try using different types of media such as images, infographics, and videos. Through testing and analysis, you will understand how to optimize your content for your audience. If you can afford it, engage a professional digital marketing service to help you to better analyze ad performance.
You should also remember that what works today may not necessarily work as well tomorrow. You will never truly understand your audience since tastes and trends shift all the time. Testing, analysis, and optimization are ongoing processes - not one-time events.
The Final Word
In today’s digital age, almost every internet user is active on social media, and so should your business. To get the most out of social media marketing, have a plan and set targets. Know your intended audience, and learn about social media marketing tips. When it comes to posting, be authentic and let your personality show through. You should also prioritize quality over quantity, don’t clog up your followers’ feeds with too many posts. Try to be active in engaging customers who reach out to you. Finally, check your analytics regularly to understand the type of posts that successfully engage your audience. Call us or book a consultation with the best digital marketing agency in North Carolina. Let our social media experts create a winning strategy for your business.
