How to Make Social Media Work for Your Small Business

Nowadays when you Google a business, it’s likely a social media page will be one of the first results. Many businesses have found that social media is an important piece of their marketing strategy. And they may be on to something — according to Statista, there are more than 4.59 billion active social media users today, and that number is expected to increase to nearly six billion by 2027. 

Social Media and Small Business

Social media can help your small business connect with current and potential customers, increase brand awareness and boost leads and sales. Even if you feel like a social media novice, you can successfully run your company’s social page. Here are a few tips to make social media work for your small business.

Create a Small Business Social Media Strategy

What do you want out of social media? Do you want new customers to discover you? Do you want more shoppers into your physical store? Keep your strategy specific so you can decide which social media channels and tactics are the best fit for your business goals depending on your target market. If you aren’t sure where to start, Meta Blueprint offers dozens of free courses designed to help you understand digital marketing and bring your business online.

Identify Your Target Audience

Who is the most likely group to take your desired action as a result of seeing your marketing? That’s your target audience, the specific people you want to reach. 

To identify them, begin by reviewing your current customers, specifically those who buy the products or services your marketing efforts focus on the most. Think about the characteristics they have in common and work with your team to describe them. What are their demographics and interests? Where do they spend their time online? What is their income? It’s also a good idea to review the social media accounts of your competitors to see how they’re communicating with a similar audience.

Focus on Building Awareness

If people don’t know your business, they can’t be customers. One of the benefits of using social media for business is the additional online presence you’ll have alongside your website. Social media helps boost your visibility and helps get your business in front of potential new customers. You’re able to cast a wide net of potential customers without a lot of time or physical effort. It’s free to create a business profile on major social platforms, making it one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to market your business!

Give Your Brand Personality

When you create your small business social media strategy, you should also think through your brand’s voice. Be authentic and let your brand’s personality shine through each of your social media posts. Make sure that your brand’s voice and personality represent what you want your business to be known as. If you want to be known as the leader in an industry, you’ll probably have a different voice than if you’re a small shop simply wanting to engage with its community. Keep in mind, though, no matter how formal or casual your brand’s tone of voice is, customers always want to be treated with respect. Avoid the temptation to argue with disgruntled customers in the comments section and opt for a personal phone call or email instead.

Engage Your Followers

Having a social media presence can help break down barriers between you and your customers. Play with new ways to engage with your audience. Using social media for your small business allows you to connect with your customers on a more personal level. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new types of content like going “live” to answer questions or giving a video tour of your store or office. Encourage customer engagement by asking questions, having polls or offering discounts or prizes for interacting with your page.

Play the Long Game

Your social media content is likely to meet people at various stages in the funnel — some may be ready to buy your service or product, while others may have just discovered your small business. Keep this mind when reviewing conversion metrics. Remember that brand awareness and affinity can go a long way toward building a future customer base, as well as deepening relationships with your existing customers.

Support for Small Business Owners

Creating a social media presence for your business may feel like a huge undertaking, but you can start small and work your way to larger small business marketing tactics. Using social media puts you right in your future customers’ hands. If you’re just starting your own business journey, reach out to your Farm Bureau agent to make sure you have it properly insured.