Where do you stand when it comes to social media marketing?
Social media is undeniably becoming an important part of marketing for small businesses, especially now that we’re on the internet age. In fact, a recent report states that 70% of business-to-consumer marketers have acquired a customer through Facebook.
If you have social media accounts for your small business such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, check out the following tips to know where you stand.
Facebook started back in 2004, and now it is the most widely-used social network. The social media giant shaped online interaction, and now almost 80% of all Internet users use Facebook, which equivalent to over than 1.7 billion users. With a lot of users sharing and creating content, it is becoming more challenging to carve through all that activity and get your content to be more in front and be seen by an audience.
Want to find out if you are on the right track on using Facebook for digital marketing? Here are three things that you need to take note of:
Things to consider when using Facebook for your small business:
- Did you set up a business page?
- Are you regularly posting content?
- Are your posts relevant to your customers? Are they engaging?
Did you set up a business page?
Posting from your personal account about your business is not a proper way to do digital marketing on Facebook. You need to create a “business page”, which works like an extension of your business on Facebook. Not only is making a business page on Facebook more discoverable, it also allows you to easily share updates and more with the people who matter most—your customers. Customers are less likely to add your personal account as a “friend”, and are more likely to “like” your business page.
Are you regularly posting content?
You need to carefully plan your regular posts on your Facebook. Be careful not to post too much in a short time span, or to post few updates in a long period period of time. Customers want to know what’s new when they visit your page, but you don’t want to fatigue them with too much posts either.
Are your posts relevant to your customers? Are they engaging?
Do your best on Facebook in sharing content about your brand that will be interesting and valuable to your audience. You can create posts yourself, or find an external source to share.
Twitter may seem like it’s a fairly simple type of social media outlet (it only allows 140 characters per “tweet”); but don’t underestimate its power — Twitter is quickly becoming one of the main ways businesses are communicating with their customers.
Major brands are joining and using Twitter not only to promote themselves, but to also quickly address their customers’ interests and needs. Make sure that you’re using Twitter’s full potential with the following guidelines:
Are you using Twitter’s full potential for your business?
- Make sure that your bio has the right keywords.
- Tweet regularly and consistently.
- Post content on Twitter that are useful to your customers.
Make sure that your bio has the right keywords.
You can make your Twitter account more discoverable if you put the right keywords in your bio. Don’t miss the chance to be found by a potential customer, and not blend in with the sea of egg-shaped profile images.
Tweet regularly and consistently.
Is your twitter account running low on tweets? If it is, chances are, your customers will think that your business is dead. If your Twitter is not producing or curating a steady stream of tweets, then you might be already losing the Twitter game.
Post content on Twitter that are useful to your customers.
Build your business’ reputation by tweeting about things that your ideal clients or customers would value. Over time, this should help you to gain followers and become a known brand in your industry.
Instagram is becoming more than just a photo sharing app. It is one of the fastest growing platforms on social media, with more than 300 million users and growing. Instagram is a useful tool if you want your business or brand to connect to people in a visual way.
The following are some questions you should ask yourself if you want to see how you can utilize Instagram to its full potential in order to grow your brand’s reputation:
How can you use Instagram for your small business?
- Have you upgraded to a business account?
- Are you using Instagram’s advertising platform?
- Do you monitor comments on your posts?
Have you upgraded to a business account?
A regular Instagram account for your business is fine. But if you upgrade to a business account, you can choose how you want your customers to get in touch with you: either via call, text, or email, with a convenient contact button. You can even input the location of your business or store, so that your customers can get directions. Upgrading to a business account for Instagram also unlocks access to other features, such as analytics, and the ability to promote your posts.
Are you using Instagram’s advertising platform?
As Instagram’s platform continues to grow, so does its potential to help you reach potential customers in a visual way. Don’t get left behind by your competitors who are already using Instagram as an advertising platform.
Do you monitor comments on your posts?
It is important for you to check with your followers who comment on your post. If someone asks a question about your business or posts a negative comment, it is crucial for you to handle these comments in such a timely manner, to improve your brand’s reputation.
How well did you do on your social media?
Were you able to say yes to all the questions and checklists? If not, don’t worry, it means that you’re not there yet and there is still room to improve.
Of course, social media is an important way to reach out to your customers, but your website should be the main way to provide information and connection to your customers. Make sure to find out why your small business needs a website, and not just social media accounts.
sources:
Social Media Today
Pew Internet