Social media is a fantastic platform for experimenting, creating communities and connecting with new clients.
Nowadays there is a notion that if your content is not viral, it's not performing well. But truthfully, the piece of content that goes viral does not always equal big sales.
As a small business owner, prioritising authentic content over virality and posting it will help you retain existing customers and acquire potential customers. In this post, we will give you 5 social media tips to improve your small business.
Table of Contents
ToggleWhy is social media important for small businesses?
The main advantage of social media marketing is that it's a low-cost method of raising brand exposure.
You need to invest time and some resources to create your content.
You can create high-quality content with a phone and some tools at your disposal.
You can reach your Target audience for a fraction of what you pay in targeted ads.
Along with that Social media allows you to -
- Drive more traffic to your website
- Generate leads
- Promote your products and services
- Build your community
- Connect and engage with your target audience
Be it a large corporation or a small business, in both cases you are producing, sharing, engaging, monitoring and optimising content which fits your target audience.
The only difference is that a small business is mostly focused on growth while a large corporation focuses on the expansion of its brand.
Social media tips for small businesses -
1. Identify your audience
Attempting to connect with everyone is a mistake made by many businesses. On the other side, knowing and organising your audience could make it easier for you to reach the appropriate audience and accomplish your marketing goals.
To start, decide who your target market is. You should base the specifics of who these people are on the audience information you currently have and your market research.
To find your target audience:
- Use social media analytics.- Many of these social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, have analytics built in that may provide you with information regarding your followers, including when, where, and any other interests they might have. Also, using these tools with business accounts is free.
- Analyze the competition - You'll get insights on how to communicate with your audience by understanding your competitors. To address any holes in your present approach, you might look at what your competitors are doing incorrectly.
- After you've defined your target market, it's critical to stay updated on their interests and to put a social listening plan into practice to understand their needs and desires.
2. Be Consistent
as you have heard the proverb "consistency is the key to success". Be your business or social media - you must be consistent if you want better results.
Many brands get discouraged when they don't see results within a few weeks of starting their social media.
But truthfully, growing social media organically takes time, like most things. So, if you remain consistent, you can generate great results.
When users visit your social media profile, give them a clear picture of your brand. If you have little to no content or scattered content, the user will be bored and leave. You have the opportunity of telling your story to your target audience using social media.
When you are constantly posting on your profile, users will know what to expect from you, what type of content you make and what you offer. And you will be able to attract your target audience.
3. Diversify your content
There is so much room to be creative and experiment on social media. But sometimes brands get stuck with one type of content or strategy which has worked for them.
Social media is constantly evolving. What worked today, won't work tomorrow. These platforms keep updating algorithms and features based on user behaviour. Keep playing with other content formats to keep your audience engaged.
Here are some formats you can use -
- Photos
- Videos
- Illustration
- Live stream
- Behind the shoot (BTS)
- Polls
Larger businesses probably already have a size large audience and are aware of what resonates with them.
Because of this, they can create original content and conduct interactive polls.
On the other hand, small businesses still have a lot to prove.
They want to offer value to their audience and expand their following, and the simplest method to accomplish so? Create informational and/or compelling content.
This isn't to argue that small businesses should limit their content to these two types.
They need to experiment with all of their content to determine what their audience prefers. Yet, this might be a good place to start.
Here are some ideas you can try
- How-tos
- Customer spotlights
- Industry facts and updates
- Behind the scenes
- Trends (viral sounds and dances)
- Product highlights
- Q&As
Subscribe to our newsletter
We’ll keep you in the loop on our best advice and strategies for social media management and growing a small business.
4. Prioritize quality over quantity
This applies to both the platforms you use and the content you share.
While posting often on social media is welcomed from a content standpoint, there is a catch.
Anything you post should be helpful. If it doesn't fit that description, think about another strategy, such as sharing user-generated content or reposting brand-related content from a non-competitor User-Generated Content (UGC).
According to 33% of small businesses surveyed (those with 1–25 employees), using UGC had the best social media ROI.
A small business may not have the time or resources to maintain an account on every social media network. That's OK too.
Focusing on one to three platforms with the demographics of your target audience and moving on from there is much more beneficial.
According to Hubspot's 2022 social media marketing research, Facebook and YouTube are the top priorities for small businesses in 2022. (even though they report that Facebook and Instagram generate the highest quality leads).
Yet, if Gen-Z is your target demographic, you can decide to focus your efforts on TikTok and grow your audience there.
5. Measure your results
Social media marketing is influenced by a variety of factors, therefore it's crucial to evaluate and track progress.
Analytics are useful for the following reasons:
- Optimize campaigns
- Create new goals
- Assess tracking metrics
You should first decide which indicators are most critical to your marketing goals before you begin tracking. The most typical metrics include:
- Reach
- Engagement
- Impressions
- Mentions
- Post clicks
- Video views
Try to experiment with different types of content.
The social media environment is always evolving.
There's a good chance that your followers will enjoy the content you create if you think it's intriguing and engaging.
A fantastic chance to connect with your consumers personally is through social media.
Getting to know people and understanding their needs, if you have the time, can help you produce more effective content and goods.
You may like to read:
Social Media Marketing: Complete Guide 2023
The Anatomy of a Great Social Media Campaign
Social Media Marketing Explained in Fewer than 685 Characters
