How Your Small Business Can Make the Most of Social Media

Social media marketing should be a priority of every startup and small business.

Regardless of how local your business’s focus is or how small an audience you think you have, not maintaining an active presence on social media is not an option for any enterprise in 2022.

No matter how little experience you have with social media or how intimidated you are by the social media landscape, the web’s leading social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram should feature prominently in your digital marketing strategy.

Social Media Tips For Your Business

To help ensure that your business can make the most of its social media presence, you can put the following pointers into practice immediately.

Update Your Accounts Every Day

While creating accounts for your business on the web’s most popular social media mainstays is undoubtedly a good start, there’s a big difference between having these accounts and using them to their fullest potential.

With this in mind, make a point of updating each of your accounts daily. Although the ideal number of daily posts varies by platform, each of your accounts should receive at least one update per day.

Furthermore, you should post updates at the most opportune times of day – i.e., when the largest possible portion of your target audience is likely to see them. As is the case with the ideal number of daily updates, these times are likely to vary from platform to platform.

Determining the best times to post updates will require some experimentation and a bit of trial and error, but it shouldn’t take long for you to decide which times are most favorable vs. which times are least favorable.

Create Engaging Posts

Some of the most popular social media accounts owe their success to creating engaging posts. In addition to featuring relevant information and eye-catching imagery, these posts actively encourage audience engagement. This is often done by encouraging people to leave feedback, share images, or ask questions.

By making your followers feel as if they’re a part of the conversation, you’re helping them foster a personal connection to your brand – and the more invested they feel in your success, the more likely they are to provide you with repeat patronage.

Interact With Your Followers

Regularly interacting with your followers is a large part of audience engagement.

For many users, being able to instantly connect with their favorite brands is the primary draw of social media. Of course, when those brands respond to questions, comments, and other feedback with total indifference, these individuals are liable to regret reaching out and then walk away with the impression that their opinions are unimportant.

Needless to say, no consumer relishes giving their business to a brand that doesn’t value their feedback.

To help distinguish yourself from such brands, make a point of responding to questions, comments, and concerns received via social media quickly and professionally. This level of responsiveness can go a long way with social media followers (and prospective customers), so whenever you receive a communique from one of your followers, try to respond as expediently as possible.

You should also avoid arguing with followers on social media, as this is unlikely to turn out well for you. Even if the other party is clearly in the wrong, arguing with them in a virtual public space is liable to make you appear petty and immature in the eyes of other followers.

Hire A Dedicated Social Media Manager

If neither you nor any of your employees have sufficient social media experience or the bandwidth to obtain said experience, consider hiring a dedicated social media manager. This person will take charge of all things social media-related, including:

• Testing and implementing new marketing strategies
• Interacting with followers
• Creating attention-grabbing posts for conversion

Furthermore, with your permission, your social media manager will be able to oversee social media-based advertising efforts like post boosts and determine how much to advertise on Facebook.

If your business’s current digital marketing strategy doesn’t include social media, it’s imperative that you correct this as soon as you can.

There really is no other way to create a community for your business right where most of your audience spends time when they’re online.

In the age of social media, no business – regardless of how small or hyperlocal – can afford to regard the web’s most prominent social platforms as an afterthought.

Luckily, making the most of social media is far from a daunting task, especially if equipped with the proper knowledge.