How to Market a Small Business through Social Media

“I’ve tried using social media to promote my business, but it just doesn’t work . . .” Sound familiar? 

We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard that statement or something similar. All too often new clients have come to us complaining that their social media marketing efforts are just not worth the effort. While we admit that social media might not be the best lead generating marketing tool for every business, we do know from experience just how powerful marketing a small business through social media can be.

There are over 4 billion social media users. With such a high number, there are bound to be people who would be interested in your business and what it has to offer. In fact, business owners recognize this as 71% of small-to-mid-sized businesses use social media to market themselves. The key to success is knowing how to use social media to be a lead generating tool.

Here Are 4 Tips to Help You Effectively Promote Your Business through Social

Know Which Social Media Platforms Your Ideal Audience Uses

If you want to reach the right audience, you need to know where they are hanging out. Don’t make assumptions. You really must do your research if you want your social media initiatives to work. If you are targeting GenZ, you may think you should skip Facebook, but you may be overlooking important details. For example, wedding venues may think they should forego Facebook and instead focus on Instagram because that is where the younger audience is.  However, by doing so, you would be overlooking a key audience: the moms, who are on Facebook. Not sure where to start looking? Check out your competition and see what they are doing, along with what’s working and not working for them in terms of engagement. There are also plenty of resources that can provide demographics for each platform.

Plan Content in Advance

Whether a social media campaign works all hinges on whether the content resonates with your target audience. Just as with the audience, when it comes to content, research matters. Pay attention to trends. Notice the posts and topics on the social media pages of your competition that engage your audience. Search relevant hashtags and see what’s resonating. Then create an editorial calendar that focuses on those topics. Be sure to take lots of photos and videos to use as your content and they get better engagement than just text alone. Before and after photos of a remodeling project or images of some mouthwatering dishes really catch the eye and draw the user in. Always be thinking of what matters most to your audience and then give it to them. 

Engage

Social media is supposed to be, well, social. If someone makes a nice comment, be sure to respond with a thank you. If someone asks a question, answer in a timely manner. People notice, and research shows consumers like, if you’re active and responsive. 

Use Analytics to Help Drive Future Content

After you publish your social media content, keep a watchful eye to see how it is performing. Pay attention to which posts are generating likes, comments and shares. Look at your website’s analytics to see which content is driving website visitors. This analysis will help you determine what you should be focusing on in the future. 

If this sounds good, but you don’t think you have the time or the capabilities to manage it all, reach out to learn more about our social media management services.