Unless you are living under a rock, you probably know how powerful social media is. From connecting with friends to jumping on trends, social media handles are a hub of everything current, and if you want to leverage this reach offered by social media channels for your small business, professional social media marketing services can come in handy.
We mean, think about it. According to Statistics, over 200 million brands use Facebook and its sister apps to reach out to their potential customers. Virtual storefronts are all the hype, and as per Brandwatch, in January 2019, there were 25 million+ brand accounts on Instagram. If you are ready to grow your small business on social media, marketing should be so much more than mediocre posts. Marketers need to explore new avenues of high-quality content and do everything from carousels to snackable videos and interactive posts to improve their outreach. So, where do they start with a strategy for designing effective social media campaigns? Well, here are some social media growth tips for businesses that can come in handy!
#1 Identify the Right Platforms for Your Business
Before you jump without any gear into the social media sea, identify which platforms your target audience is using. Most brands prioritize quantity over quality, but the thing is they don’t need to be on all the social media channels. Instead, brands should focus on the ones where their potential customer spends their time.
- Facebook: This is one of the best social media platforms for small businesses that want to reach a wider demographic. Facebook is great for most businesses, and especially those who are focused on community engagement, customer service or event promotion can find Facebook immensely helpful.
- Instagram: This one is a visually-driven platform ideal for brands with strong aesthetics like fashion, food, or lifestyle products. If you deal in these things, or your audience is younger, between 18-34 years old, Instagram can be your go-to option.
- LinkedIn: The professionals’ playground, LinkedIn is great for B2B businesses, networking, and thought leadership. If you want to keep the tone of your business formal or establish thought leadership in your industry, LinkedIn is where you will want to be.
- Twitter: Now known as X, Twitter is ideal for real-time updates, customer service, and keeping your audience informed on trends or news. The platform works well for industries that thrive on timely information like media or technology.
- TikTok: Although the platform doesn’t work everywhere, it is a rising star for businesses targeting younger audiences (Gen Z). TikTok is perfect for your business if it can create fun, engaging, and creative content for its targeted demographics.
Before you make a social media handle on any of these platforms, take a moment to consider your business type, products, and audience, and once you have figured that out, you can start with content creation for social media.
#2 Set Clear Goals and KPIs for Your Social Media Strategy
What do you want to achieve through social media strategies for small businesses? Social media marketing services can serve many purposes from brand awareness and lead generation to driving more website traffic, retaining customers, and even directing sales.
When you are starting out with social media advertising for small businesses, try thinking of it as any other business initiative- You need measurable goals! Set clear KPIs to track progress, and these metrics can include:
- Follower Growth: Track the increase in followers over time.
- Engagement Rate: Measure likes, shares, comments, and interactions with your posts.
- Website Traffic: Use tools like Google Analytics to see how much traffic your social media efforts are driving to your website.
- Conversion Rate: The percentage of users who take the desired action, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.
Be consistent with tracking your KPIs and social media analytics for small businesses as having these goals in place can ensure that your social media strategy stays focused and allows you to adjust your strategy based on what’s working and what’s not.
#3 Create a Content Calendar to Stay Organized
Online marketing for small enterprises is all about competing with the big fish in the industry, and social media marketing is no different. However, when there are giants in your field, how do you compete with them? The answer is CONTENT! If you want to increase brand awareness with social media, consistency is the key.
Posting regularly on your social media handles can help you stay on top of your audience’s mind, but it can be overwhelming to keep up without a plan. This is when a content calendar can save the day. It can prove effective to plan your posts in advance, and the calendar includes everything like:
- Content themes
- Post Frequency
- Platform-specific content like carousels, reels, etc.
#4 Engage with Your Audience
Social media isn’t a one-way street; it’s about conversations and relationships. While posting content is important, engaging with your audience is equally crucial. To keep your credibility intact on social media, respond to comments, use polls and Q&As, encourage user-generated content, and ask for feedback or opinions on your products or services wherever you can.
#5 Leverage Paid Ads to Boost Your Reach
Organic reach on social media is increasingly limited, especially as platforms prioritize content from friends and family over business pages. That’s where paid advertising comes in. Social media platforms allow you to create highly targeted ads that appear in users’ feeds. You can target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors to ensure your ad reaches the right audience.
The Verdict: Start Small, Stay Consistent and Scale Up
Running a small business is all about building relationships, and social media handles offer you the liberty to do so without investing thousands of dollars. More than 50% of customers find new brands and products and learn about them on social media. With over 2 billion active users on social media, the world can be your oyster. However, if you need help with social media customer strategies or if your business is struggling with customer engagement through social media, feel free to reach out to professionals for digital marketing services and grow your business to new heights.
Looking for professionals who can make your brand a household name using social media? Reach out to the team at EZ Digital today!
