There is plenty of social media platforms-Facebook, Twitter, Instagram- that allow a company to communicate with their audience in new and engaging ways.
But how do you use Social Media for Marketing? We’ve put together some practical and easy tips for small businesses who want to use Social Media for marketing without spending too much time on it!
Related: 12 Social Media Marketing Mistakes Companies Make
1. Where Are They?
You can find many businesses on every social media platform out there, but not all of them work for you.
It may seem like Facebook and Twitter should be the top priority since they have the most users, but if your audience is mostly found on Instagram or Snapchat then you’ll want to spend more focus on them.
2. Be Visual
If you’re running a B2C small business, chances are most of your customers will be younger and they’ll want to see your products or services visually.
Facebook and Twitter allow you to display photos, videos, GIFs, and more so make sure that’s what you include!
Also, remember to write interesting captions for the photos and videos that you post.
3. How Will You Communicate with Them?
No matter what kind of business you are in, communication is key!
You need to make sure that when people engage with your social media posts they can easily contact you or ask questions about your products or services.
If Facebook isn’t working out for you maybe you should try Twitter or Instagram.
4. Tell A Story
We’re more likely to open up a business’ social media if we think it’s going to be interesting and fun.
So don’t just post boring facts about your company’s history-share what you love about what you do!
Make it personal and tell a story instead of just selling your product.
Again, make sure your followers can easily contact you-include your email or phone number in every post!
5. Don’t Overdo It
It’s not uncommon for small businesses to spend all their time on social media and end up neglecting other aspects of their business like advertising or actually creating products or services!
Remember that you need to maintain your brand so it’s important to balance everything out.
6. Answer Your Followers’ Questions!
A small business is only as great as their customer service, so make sure you answer any questions from followers on social media directly
Not just with a generic response or link like some companies do!
7.Use It for Marketing
Since social media is such a personal platform, there’s always the potential to use it as an effective marketing tool.
A lot of businesses have been able to increase revenue just by creating a solid presence on social media!
8. How Will You Track Your Results?
How are you going to check how well your social media marketing efforts are working?
Are you going to use Facebook analytics? Google Analytics?
You can’t see results if you don’t track them, so make sure that you set up some sort of system for yourself.
9. Track Your Costs
Social media is inexpensive, but it’s still a good idea to keep track of how much you’re spending on it.
You don’t want to be spending too much and finding out that you can’t make a profit!
10. Be Consistent
This should go without saying, but if your followers don’t see you on social media for a few days or weeks then they’ll forget about you and move onto something else.
Make sure to post regularly, and you can even use tools that will help with the scheduling process.
12. Keep Your Content Fresh!
It’s easy to get into a rut when posting on social media and keep using the same posts over and over again,
But if you want to keep interested from your followers then you’ll need to change it up every so often.
Don’t just post links-posting photos and videos and even live streaming can keep your followers interested in what you’re doing.
13. Don’t bother with Facebook Ads
Facebook used to be an essential place for businesses to advertise their products, but lately, it seems like it’s better to focus on other platforms.
If you do want to try advertising on Facebook, there are experts who can help you out.
14. Remember-it’s All about the Experience!
If your customers truly have a great experience with your business, then your marketing will work automatically just by word of mouth.
Your social media posts shouldn’t be so pushy that they scare off potential customers!
15. Think Outside The Box
This point ties in nicely with number 8.
You can’t just do the same thing over and over speak to everyone on social media in the exact same way!
Figure out what your customers respond best to and adapt it later on down the road.
16. Look Forward To Future Advancements
A lot of small businesses fall behind the times, but it’s okay to try out new tools like live streaming and interactive ads on social media!
You can always go back to what you were doing before if your followers don’t respond well.
17. Be on Social Media but Not All the Time
Social media is a good way for your business to stay in contact with its customers, but it’s not forgetting on people’s nerves!
Put some time in every day to keep your social media presence alive and well.
18. Have Fun with It!
If you feel like you’re going insane from trying to keep up with everyone else, then just take a step back and enjoy the ride.
Sometimes taking some time off can help you figure out new ways to use social media for even better results!
Related: How to Use Facebook Hashtags to Increase Your Reach
19. Create a Schedule
It’s easy to think you can keep up with social media as it happens, but you need to be strategic if you want any type of success.
Whether that means being active on one platform each week, or just posting what matters most when it matters the most, create a plan and stick with it.
20. Leverage Real-world Events
If your customer base doesn’t have access to a certain social medium (such as Facebook), then find another way for them to stay connected!
Hosting an offline event is an opportunity for people to talk about your business online whether they’re there or not.
Read Also: 7 Top Event Marketing Strategies on Facebook 2021
21. Know How Others Are Doing It
You need to learn from the experts who’ve been around since the beginning!
Social media has changed a lot over time, so study the leaders and learn how they can help you.
22. Look to Other Industries
While your social media marketing will be unique to your business, there are always tactics that can cross into multiple markets.
If you notice something working for another company in your industry, try it out on yours. The worst that could happen is nothing changes at all.
Also Read: Get more followers on Facebook in 2021
23. Get Organized
With everything being online these days (including our memories), having a way to stay focused and on track is more important than ever.
Whether you use a paper planner or an online calendar, staying on task will be easier if you’re organized.
24. Stay Positive
If your writing sounds angry then people are going to know it!
A good social media presence should be upbeat and fun, even when it comes to marketing your brand.
Be honest but always look for the good in others.
25. Don’t Give Up
Small businesses are great at getting off of social media completely, so never feel bad about taking a break.
You’ll cycle back around soon enough!
Related: How Can Social Media Improve Your SEO Ranking?
26. Keep Improving
Your social media efforts won’t happen overnight, so don’t expect them to!
Always try out new things and make adjustments based on how your customers react.
Small changes can make a big difference if you take the time to see how they work for your business.
Conclusion
The business of the 21st century will be a lot like that of the 20th.
Both the physical and online world still need good old services to drive sales and profit.
The only difference now is that much of it is done over social media, and you’ll have to keep up with the times if you want to stay competitive.
Hopefully, these tips will help you use Social Media for marketing and be more successful in 2021
Now go out there, create some magic with Social Media Marketing!
Have any ideas or suggestions?
Share them through comments below…!!!
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