6 Key Tips for Marketing Your Small Business on Social Media

Maximize Your Small Business Brand On Social Media

If you’re a small business with no social media presence, you’re literally leaving money on the table. Billions of people use social media on a daily basis. It’s not only a place where you can connect with family and friends, it’s also a great way to market your products or services. Businesses big and small leverage the power of social media to build their brand and drive sales. Follow these six key tips as you use social media to grow your small business.

Key Tips for Winning at Social Media for Your Small Business

If you’re wanting to get serious about social media for your small business, it’s all about making sure that you create the right plan and target the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Check out our 6 key tips for dominating in social media for your small business:

1. Set Goals

Before you develop a social media strategy for your business, you need to have a clear understanding of your goals. Do you want to increase brand awareness among a target demographic? Are you trying to share your industry expertise with a wider audience? Maybe you’re simply using social media to increase your sales. Understanding your goals will help you create a successful social media strategy.

2. Choose the Right Social Network

It’s important to choose an appropriate platform for your social media marketing efforts. You likely already know about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and some of the other big-name platforms. Did you know that not all platforms work for every type of business, though? Take both your audience and your industry into consideration as you decide where you should post on social media.

For example, if you’re selling a specific product, Instagram is the platform for you. Instagram’s focus on images lends itself well to promoting individual products. If you’re a B2B business, LinkedIn is the most efficient way to connect with other business owners who may be interested in your products or services.

It doesn’t hurt to have accounts on several different platforms, but make sure you’re using your time wisely by focusing on the ones that will really make a difference for your business.

3. Know Your Audience

You need to know your audience demographic so you can create content they’ll actually want to consume. Narrow down your target audience not only by age and gender, but also by geographic location, interests and any other qualities you feel are important for your marketing strategy.

A little bit of role playing can also help you determine your target audience. Get a feel for their likes and dislikes, as well as what problems they need to solve. Understanding your audience helps you create tailored content that actually matters to your potential customers.

4. Use Consistent Messaging

Consistency is key in developing trust with your customers. At the beginning of your social media journey, you’ll need to test your messages and content to get a feel for what sticks. It can be a trial-and-error process. Use visuals, text and language that matches the style and tone of your brand and monitor your customer engagement. If you find that a particular type of content works best for engagement, be consistent and stick to it.

You also need to be consistent in the frequency of your posts. It’s easier for people to remember brands they interact with on a regular basis. It helps them feel more connected to the brand. If you’re seeing results and more engagement with your social media efforts, don’t use this as an excuse to reduce the frequency of your posts. Daily posting, at minimum, is recommended to keep your customers involved, regardless of what social platform you’re using.

5. Create Dynamic Content

Another key to creating dynamic content is using great images. Imagery goes a long way in promoting your brand. You only have a few seconds to capture the interest of a typical social media user, which is why you need to make every post count by using a compelling image. The right image can attract attention and get people interested in what you’re saying and what you’re selling. As you select images, get a feel for the best practices for the platforms that you’re posting to and go from there. Pay close attention to image dimensions, patterns and color trends.

6. Be Engaging

If you see your audience responding to your social media content, you know you’re doing something right. Try to reply to comments and questions whenever possible. Another great way to directly connect with your audience is by hosting a live chat session. It allows you to answer questions and get feedback from potential customers in real time.

It’s often helpful to use a social media management tool like Salesforce or Sprout Social to make this process easier. They help you schedule posting so your message reaches your audience at the most opportune times.

Let BizIQ Help You Win with Social Media

No matter what size of business you run, you need to leverage the power of social media or you’ll be left in the dust. If you’re wanting help with your social media, contact us to learn about BizIQ’s social media management services and get more traffic and conversions on your site from social channels.