Boost Your Business with the Power of Social Media

 

Remember the early days of social media, when popular platforms like Facebook and Twitter revolutionized how we communicate online? While many social media users still flock to these sites to keep in touch with family and friends, small businesses leverage these powerful tools to expand their reach, cinch sales and even scope out the competition.

The benefits of running a social media account for your small business are tangible. A social account can increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website and build powerful connections with your customer base. If you already have a social account for your business, or are considering making one, here are some key considerations necessary for your success.

Assess Your Audience

When you set up a social media account for your small business, it’s important to go where your customers are. Your time and energy are limited, and choosing the wrong platform can result in wasted effort.

Take the time to review key demographic information about your customers, such as age, employment and income. Facebook is a popular one-size-fits-all platform with 2.93 billion monthly active users. Still, only some social media sites can boast such a broad reach. Sites like Instagram and TikTok are popular among younger users who expect eye-catching visuals and trends.

If you don’t have this information, ask your customers what platforms they use, why they use them and what content they enjoy. Additionally, consider conducting an online search for your competitors’ social media accounts to help determine which platforms you should use.

If you already have social accounts for your business, check your page analytics regularly. These data points give you an idea of who regularly visits your page and if you need to make any changes. You might be performing well on Facebook, but if you notice a large percentage of your visitors are between 18–24 years old, consider adding a site like Instagram to your social marketing plans.

Set Your Goals

Like any other part of your business, it’s crucial to set quantitative goals for your social media accounts. These goals will help you evaluate whether the time and resources you’ve funneled into social media have paid off. Regularly checking in on your business’ social media analytics provides valuable feedback on whether you’re meeting your goals. Monitor these three key factors:

• Brand awareness – If you want to ascertain whether your social media account has increased the public’s familiarity with your product, keep an eye on your follower count, the reach of your social media posts and any mentions or shares.
• Engagement – Reviewing your likes, shares and comments per post, as well as any mentions and replies, can help you determine if you’re building a solid community around your product or service.
• Sales – Every business wants to generate new sales. If you’re using social media advertising to boost your sales, keep track of your social media conversion rates, cost-per-thousand (CPM) and cost-per-click (CPC) metrics.

Craft Compelling Content

What kind of content catches your eye when scrolling through social media? You’re not alone if you regularly like videos and photos but pass over a post teeming with text. Today’s social media is full of vibrant, high-contrast images and videos, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a graphic designer to get the job done. Consider these tips when creating social media content:

• Don’t go overboard on stock content – Stock photos and videos can be a cost-effective way to add high-quality visuals to your post, but don’t rely on them too heavily. Consumers respond better to authentic photos of products and services. Using too many stock photos can make your company appear disingenuous and harm your brand.
• Hire a freelance photographer – You don’t need a dedicated social media team to capture photos for your social media account. Hiring a freelance photographer to take photos of your business — including products, services, facilities and employees — can be a great way to elevate your social presence above the competition. When hiring a freelancer, provide them with a comprehensive shot list of all the images you need.
• Expand your toolkit – There are many tools on the market designed to help small business owners use their time more efficiently. These easy-to-use programs feature a diverse array of customizable templates that can turn photos and videos into eye-catching social superstars. Many of them are beginner-friendly and don’t require any prior design experience.

Excel at Engagement

Social media engagement refers to the number of interactions customers have with the content you share on social media. Every time a customer ‘likes,’ ‘comments’ or ‘shares’ your content, it shows they are interested in what you’re saying and your business offering. If your social account has a regular engagement rate, it can help you build your brand and increase referrals and sales. Here are some tips to help you improve your engagement:

• Prioritize posting – Posting regularly to social media can help foster customer engagement, as your audience will expect and look forward to your content. While there are many opinions on how often businesses should post to their accounts, it’s more important to be consistent. Many social media algorithms favor accounts that post regularly, meaning your followers are more likely to see your content. Remember to post by picking a set day and time or setting an alarm.
• Put the “social” in social media – Social media started as a way to connect people, and that’s still true today. If you’re unsure how to interact with your customers online, try asking them a question to get to know them better. Acknowledging their responses with a like or reply can help build rapport and a community around your brand. Remember to keep your responses professional and avoid profanity or inappropriate language.
• Research platform-specific opportunities – Social platforms are making it easier to engage with each other by introducing site-specific tools like polls and quizzes. Small business owners can use these features to increase engagement while gathering data or conducting a market survey.

Social media is one of the fastest evolving and most effective tools in a business owner’s toolbox. Ensure you stay on top of best practices and trends to help your business grow.

The Southern Consumers Alliance helps small business owners, self-employed individuals and their families improve their businesses by removing the knowledge hurdles that can stand in the way of their success. To explore how your comprehensive SCA benefits can help your small business, visit southernconsumers.org.