We share our most crucial Social Media Tips for Small Businesses right here, and help you to understand the answer to this important question: “Am I spending my time wisely in Social Media?” You need to know whether or not you are incorporating the right activity into your every day social media ‘to do’ list. If you’re not? You’re going to miss out and your results will be less than acceptable. Here goes >>>
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Social Media.
It’s one of the marketing activities that can drain an awful lot of time, and that’s why I am bringing you the Social Media Tips for Small Businesses. Lots of businesses end up getting nowhere, and sadly, waste a lot of energy on activity within the platforms that don’t actually support them in getting leads and sales.
Do you feel that way about your Small Business’ Social Media?
If that feels like you, then this is a must read.
The key to success here, as you read through this article and look to make positive change, is to incorporate one or two ideas at a time, rather than trying to do everything in Social Media.
When you try to do everything all at once, it creates overwhelm. And that can create marketing paralysis – so you do absolutely nothing. And what good is that to the growth of your business?
So read this and choose one or two things to focus on that you believe will really move your social media forward.
1. Know why you are ‘in’ Social Media’
When you enter a platform aimlessly, that’s when you waste time. So before you even click on that app, know the purpose of your visit. For example:
- Creating new contacts with your ideal customer profile.
- Posting valuable content for your followers to build the relationship.
- Taking care of your existing customers, in your customer Facebook Group.
- Sending prospecting Direct Messages.
Whatever your reason, be clear to yourself and stay on track. That way, you won’t be wasting your time and energy, but being very purposeful.
2. Optimise Your Social Media Profiles
When someone visits your Social Media profiles, it’s the same as someone turning up on your website. You have to give them a great experience and not make them think too hard about:
- Who you are
- How you serve your customers
- What you can help them with
- How to get in contact with you
So having great social media profiles that are there doing their job, even when you are sleeping is crucial. They are your silent sales people. If you don’t, those ideal customers of yours will be off to your competitors.
Want to know more about how to do this? We can help you out. Here’s more info.
This is a vital requirement within our social media tips for small businesses.
3. Get ahead of the game with Social Media
Simplify your content creation by preplanning your content. To do this, consider having ‘days of the week’ for your posts, e.g.
- Monday: Inspirational Post
- Tuesday: ‘How To…’ Post or Top Tip
- Wednesday: Customer Testimonial
- Thursday: Link to your latest blog post
- Friday: Your Questions Answered
- Saturday: Behind the Scenes
- Sunday: Free download
By creating ‘themes’ it is easier to think of content ideas; and once you have, my advice is to get them all written and scheduled so that you have a good basic presence on your social media channels. That leaves you free to focus on other important parts of social media that attract leads and sales.
If you want to get some AMAZING guidance on this, and also some pre-written social media posts for you to swipe and use, then CLICK HERE for our 28 Day Social Media Planning Toolkit.
4. Consider your Call To Actions on your Social Media
Individuals do not take action unless they are told to do so. Strange hey? Even the simplest calls to action, e.g. “think about x or y” needs to be mentioned to them, in order that their brain will give your content the time of day.
Every post should have some kind of call to action, and the call to action you use, should consider the warmth of the relationship with the audience.
For example:
- Cold audience – you may ask them to “consider” or ‘think” about something… or perhaps direct them to a blog.
- A warmer audience – you may look at inviting them to download a freebie in exchange for the email address.
- A hot audience – you may invite them to an event, or to book a consultation with you – or even BUY NOW.
Where they are in the relationship matters. If you ask too much, they’ll walk away.
5. Repurpose your content
There’s little point spending lots of time on an amazing blog, video or post if you only let it have airtime once.
A blog can be made into a fantastic video.
The same blog can be made into several smaller social media posts.
The same blog can be make into some kind of infographic.
Always aim to reproduce your content into 3 other formats.
That’s how you will save time, and ensure you are repeating your content accordingly. Afterall, repetition builds reputation.
You can bet your bottom dollar that this post will become a video, several posts, a webinar, a LinkedIn article and lots more.
6. Video
And following on from point 5. Let’s talk more on video. Video marketing is fundamental. You see, not only is it the most consumed type of content right now, highly engaging for your audience and multi-sensory, but lots of the platforms favour video content (at the time of writing!) and for that reason, it wins within the algorithms and you’ll have more organic reach from it, against other types of post.
So what are you waiting for?
Pull out that iPhone and get talking to it!
That’s right. It doesn’t have to be polished. In fact, when you are on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, a less polished video will get more attention, as it is more in line with what people expect to see from their friends and family. It’s much more native to the platform.
In addition, try not to post links to YouTube, but instead, upload the video to the platform. The social media players out there want to keep their audience on platform for as long as possible, so imagine you… coming along with your link over to their rival platforms… just swooping their audience away from them? They don’t love that! Don’t do it.
7. Keep the conversation going and practice reciprocity
It takes 7 to 15 interactions with your brand before someone is willing to consider buying from you.
What does that mean?
Well, my friend, it means that you have to put some considerable effort in to build relationships with your ideal audience.
Think about what that might look like in practice:
- If someone comments on your content, reply and thank them, and respond to their comment as necessary.
- Consider where Direct Messages are appropriate to those that have engaged with your posts.
- Go and check out their content and reciprocate. Comment on their posts too.
As your name or your brand is continually seen, the relationship is building up. And people buy from people they know, like and trust.
8. Testimonials and Reviews
We’ve just talked about trust. Like horses, individuals also need to feel trust before they are willing to buy from you. And it’s really difficult to get that trust when they’ve not yet been able to experience your products or services.
So what can you do?
Well one way to gain trust is to show the experience of your existing customers and clients, through testimonials, case studies and reviews.
Make sure you regularly post this kind of content, and also ask your customers to leave you reviews or recommendations on your social media platforms too. Your customers will want to help, so ask, ask, ask. Don’t be shy!
And like horses, who are herd animals, your ideal customers are then more likely to follow the crowd that have gone before them and had a positive experience with you, and part with their hard earned cash, knowing it’s a smart choice.
So there’s 8 Social Media Tips for Small Businesses.
But one thing is for SURE….
You absolutely CANNOT and SHOULD NOT rely on Social Media alone to get leads and sales for your business. In reality, Social Media makes up for only around 40% of the Marketing you should be doing.
~ Victoria Vickery
So if you would like to find out more about the other 60%, and the Marketing Foundations you need in place to turn on the tap to a consistent flow of leads and customers for your business, then find out about KickStart Your Marketing. It’s our flagship half-day Workshop and we’d love you to come along.
