5 Social Media Tips for Small Businesses

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Social media has taken the world by storm, especially in the last couple of years. There is probably no business out there that is not reaping benefits from this prestigious source. Being seen as a source for connectivity at first, digital marketers now perceive it as an evident tool for content marketing. With around 3.5 billion users around the world, social media has got the entire world on its fingertips. That equates to about 45% of the current population. Now, you must be wondering that deploying marketing strategies through social media can be very costly due to paid promotions and only big companies can afford them. Unfortunately, you are very wrong. With large companies, small startups can reach milestones and grow from social media platforms in no time.

Small companies tend to have a lot of burden on their shoulders. Day to day operations such as hiring, sales, operations, payroll and invoicing tend to suck the life out of the thrill and excitement there is to enjoy in starting your own business. The only thing that gets left out the most is marketing. Small startups usually struggle to overcome fierce competition as they lack knowledge on where to direct their marketing efforts. Most startups in underdeveloped countries lack awareness of how social media can help them take their businesses to the skies. 

Marketing through Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn is great to reach the desired number of audience in a very short amount of time. It is also amazing for eliciting user-generated content which contributes towards spreading a positive word of mouth in your specific region and on a global level too. By virtue of social media, you can easily, establish a two-way channel of communication and connect with your audience on a personal level in the comment sections given on Facebook or Instagram. In addition, to social media being a one-stop solution for all your marketing needs and apart from hefty promotional schemes, social media is absolutely free. There are no big commitments or time investments required for creating a social media account, but there are a few things that every digital marketer must be mindful of when thinking of launching a marketing strategy through social media.

It doesn’t matter how effective your strategy is. It doesn’t matter how unique your content is if it isn’t addressed to the right audience it, is of no use. First define your target audience carefully, make a plan and then head towards curating a killer piece of content. If you struggle properly, defining your audience, then there are various tools such as Google Ads display planner and Facebook ad planning that can help you in exploring various interests, demographics, and behavior in no time. I believe, when you have the right plan in mind and know what kind of tools to utilize online, you have got nothing to worry about.

Every great venture starts with effective plan execution. A great plan provides the right direction in which a goal should be accomplished. Without a plan, a marketer is often lead confused and frustrated mid-way the project. Just like in high school, when we used to appear for an exam we always had to prepare for it, similarly, for marketing, you can never achieve anything without having a specific goal in mind for it. Hence, always take some time out to create goals that follow the SMART framework. Which means they should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. Gaining insights on your competition much always be included in your business plan. Conduct a thorough competition analysis for what works for your business and what doesn’t, respectively. Always remember, a great plan will always take you a long way.

Once, you have a clear idea of all goals and objectives; it’s time to choose your platform. According to studies, the use of Facebook has grown fastest among older generations; there is no denying that. It happens to be one of the widely used websites, especially by millennials. Hence, Facebook is one of the safest options. But if you still wish to discover more platforms, Instagram is also a safe bet. Keep switching things up a bit by using different social media networks. Every network has its unique characteristics that can aid in marketing your product differently every time. So, choose your platform wisely!

One perk of marketing through social media is that it allows you to connect with your audience directly. I don’t believe any other platform can make this happen.  Connecting with your audience on a personal level is a great way to build and maintain relationships in a unique way.  Did you know, it’s been statically proven that more than 40% of digital consumers rely on social media’s networks to research new brands or products? Thus, try creating content that is organic; it’s a great way to engage your customers in an exciting way. 

Respond to all your customers’ queries in the comment section given below. Allow your audience to share your posts as much as they can to elicit user-generated content. This will aid in raising social algorithms and gain new exposure. When your audience exhibits such behavior, chances for more sales and leads are expected, creating a win-win situation for both the audience and the brand.

Quality over quantity must be a key thing to remember always. Every small business must not always jump to a large number of opportunities. They should take baby steps. Creating quality content and promoting it through precise channels is the real deal here. Apart from creating content, authenticity is also the real deal. According to a survey from Stackla, 86% of consumers say authenticity influences which brands they like and support. So, always strive to produce content that is of an authentic nature.

You can also opt for optimizing content for voice search, which will stay dominant from this year. Create content that allows you to leverage from voice search benefits which are countless and take your business to the skies with this innovative state of the art technology.

Social media is a great way to help you post content of top-notch quality. Small businesses can reap a tremendous amount of benefits through various social media podiums. Read this blog thoroughly to level up your social media marketing game. For more information, check out some online sites that deal in Wikipedia page creation