For small businesses, putting resources into marketing can always feel like a gamble. After all, while marketing is necessary for attracting customers, you’ll only earn back your investment if your marketing efforts succeed!
That’s why free platforms like social media are so powerful for small businesses. Businesses can buy paid ads, but they can also bring in new customers by building a professional, cohesive online presence—all by cultivating free social media accounts.
To help your small business make the most of social media, let’s explore three expert marketing strategies.
Identify where your audience is
Marketing revolves around posting the right message to the right audience in the right place. This means that when it comes to your social media strategy, your first step is to decide what websites to post on.
Think about your average customer and consider factors such as their:
Demographic information. While anyone can use any social media platform, certain demographics tend to use specific sites. For instance, TikTok caters to a young audience when compared to Facebook’s older demographic.
Technology use. Before starting a social media strategy, consider how much your audience uses social media at all. For businesses with audiences that spend most of their time offline, your best strategy might be just to maintain a few profiles to show that your organization is active rather than using these sites to make a marketing push.
Daily schedule. When it comes to social media, timing is everything. Think about your average customer’s daily schedule. When are they most likely to hop on Facebook or scroll through Instagram? Consider both days of the week and times of day to determine the most effective times to post, such as lunch times during weekdays and weekend mornings.
Additionally, consider what kind of content your customers want from you on social media. For example, a pet supplies store could solely post sales promotions, but they’re unlikely to develop a following that way. Instead, they could boost their pet marketing strategy by posting sharable photos of dogs visiting their store and pet care tips while promoting sales opportunities strategically.
Post original and curated content
Businesses commonly abandon social media because posting regularly requires time, energy, and creativity you might not always have. However, a dead social media account can actually hurt your business by making customers think you’re no longer in business, so when you commit to creating a social media account, ensure you can keep it going long-term.
For most businesses, posting at least once or twice a week at a minimum should be plenty. Of course, if you want to build an audience fast, you should aim to post more. To maintain a reliable posting schedule without burning yourself out, try:
Creating what you know. The key to content marketing is creating content that is specific, original, and something your audience can’t get anywhere else. When you create a blog post, video, or infographic, ensure it represents your business’s expert perspective.
Posting curated content. Continually creating new original content is hard. Fortunately, you don’t have to! Keep your account active by sharing content related to your business. Whenever you post curated content, be sure to add your commentary, reaction, or analysis to ensure your business’s brand and perspective are still present. For example, a pet supplies store might share an article from a veterinary clinic about rises in fleas during the spring and summer and add a comment about the importance of purchasing proper preventative medicine.
Making a content calendar. Keep your posts consistent by leveraging a content calendar. For example, a dog grooming business might plan to post cute before-and-after photos every Saturday, at-home grooming tips on the first of the month, a grooming montage video the following week, and a sales promotion the week after.
When it comes to choosing channels, most businesses will get better marketing results by prioritizing quality over quantity. Stick to a handful of sites that you know you can maintain a consistent posting schedule for.
Nurture engagement
Social media’s greatest strength is the opportunity for two-way communication. This can help you develop relationships, address customer concerns, and answer questions to nail down leads.
Whenever someone comments on one of your posts, respond to them. This might involve liking and pinning positive comments, providing professional responses to critical ones, and encouraging continued engagement by replying back.
You can also jumpstart your social media strategy by asking customers to post about your business. For instance, a dog daycare might ask customers to leave a positive Yelp review or tag their business’s Facebook account when posting about the fun time their pet had at daycare.
Conclusion: Start getting your business seen online.
Social media can boost your business’s brand recognition, trustworthiness, and lead generation. Assess your customer base to find the best platforms for your business, and start creating your first accounts!
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