Suppose you are a local business owner and haven't yet mastered social media marketing. In that case, it's about time you turn on the selfie camera, take an in-depth look at your unfiltered screen, and follow a few essential social media marketing tips for small businesses.
These days, all marketing strategies for small businesses include social media because it is approachable, familiar, and doesn't involve putting a high-priced ad agency on retainer. All it really takes is to put a strong focus not on the business but the customer.
How Does Social Media Marketing Affect Small Businesses?
Strip back the layers of an effective social media strategy, and you'll find that it is just a marketing tool to develop brand awareness with a target audience of potential customers.
You might be thinking, "So if it is just a 'marketing tool,' then why is it not about the business?"
Well, that's where the social part comes in.
Social media expert William Crozer explains it well as a story: "You know that sweaty, past his prime salesman in khaki Dockers and a logo polo at your last networking event? Yeah, the guy who stands in the crowd and talks about how great his business and the exceptional deals you can get right now if you buy three cases. You can't get a word in over the constant chatter about products, unique selling propositions, and returns on investment.
Most social media strategies, and maybe yours included, are like that guy. They're too focused on what YOU the business wants to say and not at all concerned about what THEY the potential customers are interested in seeing. You're not creating interest because you're not interesting. You're not creating engagement because you're not engaging. You're not getting fans because you're not a fan of your customers. You're not being social—you're just being media."
So, how do we fix this for once and for all?
Social Media Marketing Tips
Below are tried, true, and tested social media marketing tips for small businesses. Regardless of your approach, keep in mind these four rules dominate all social media, paid or organic, Facebook to Instagram to TikTok to whatever comes next:
Earn your community's attention and trust with engaging and imaginative content.
Maintain their attention with frequent posts and by engaging them wherever they are.
Turn your followers into brand advocates and build their brand loyalty.
Be in tune with customer and competitor activity for business intelligence and reputation management.
The Dos of Social Media Marketing
Keep your social media profiles and handles simple and easy to find. To maintain social media brand consistency, obscure usernames or one without your brand name in it should be avoided at all costs.
Use the same social media handles across social media platforms to make your brand easier to find and tag.
Align all business descriptions, and where possible, incorporate primary keywords for your business.
Make sure your brand voice and tone are consistent with how you engage with customers on other platforms.
Always be helpful, conversational, and authentic in all direct engagements.
A content calendar is a great way to plan out your content to be frequent, consistent, and topical.
Posts must always be short and specific. Research has shown that even on Facebook that posts with character counts under 40 have 85% more engagement.
Use high-quality images or videos native to your specific business. Stay away from sterile and inauthentic stock photography as much as possible.
Always use your bio to convey who you are, what you offer, and why you're different.
Use calls-to-action in your posts like asking questions, specifically encouraging engagement and comments, or inviting viewers to share their content using a specific hashtag.
Always include an accurate and working link from each platform to your website.
Share exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and videos that showcase what a great business you have.
Use strategic storytelling to generate interest and engagement.
Keep an eye on your competitors to see which platforms they're engaging on, what types of posts they're making, and which posts users engage with the most.
Reputation management is the ideal means to showcase benevolent business development.
Leverage Facebook's and Instagram's Stories feature to give your followers real-time updates or behind-the-scenes sneak peeks that can disappear.
The Don’ts of Social Media Marketing
Don't use graphics, images, and videos that don't match your brand colors, fonts, etc.
Never ignore your followers. These are your next customers! Watch activity regularly and respond quickly to all comments no matter how they come in or if they're positive or negative. Acknowledgment is the key!
Don't let content get boring or stale. Experiment with different types of posts and creative tools like Boomerang, filters, unique angles, etc.
Never go overboard with branded or irrelevant hashtags. Ensure your posts use hashtags that are within the right context. It never hurts to research three or four dozen relevant to your niche, products, and services.
Never take advantage of a community by posting user-generated content (UGC) without receiving the proper permission first or without giving proper credit.
Don't make negative comments about the competition or on their accounts. It never ends well.
Never be afraid of spontaneity. If a post makes sense in a certain time and place, do it regardless of what the calendar says.
Don't use a social media platform without understanding the predominant audience demographics or getting to know the platform's culture, terms, and touchpoints. The last thing you want is to seem out of place.
Implementing Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
There are several golden tips on this page to help level up your social media marketing. The best way to get started is to choose five and begin to implement them this week. Next week, choose five more and implement those.
Social media marketing for small businesses is critical for listening and responding to customers. This includes giving the community the types of posts and content that reflects who they are and what they want, not the business' needs. Do this well, and you'll unlock the marketing potential of social media.