With the COVID-19 situation affecting businesses everywhere, virtual communication has become the top medium to speak to customers, partners, employees, family and friends. Social media in particular, is a great way for small business owners to connect with prospects and customers. Taking advantage of social media platforms can help you go around the interruptions caused by the pandemic. More so, it can broaden your customer reach and help you understand your customer’s needs better.
Done right, social media can make sales skyrocket. Social media has not only brought people together when we are forced to be apart, but it has also allowed businesses to operate without or with a limited physical presence. Curbside pickups? Contactless delivery? Reservations? Payments? Social media is a tool you need to understand in order to thrive in the post-COVID-19 economy.
Some entrepreneurs have even built an entire business on a social media platforms, but if you’re not careful, it can be time consuming, distracting, or even backfire by alienating customers and prospects. Finding the right balance is key to getting the results you want.
Here are five social media tips to help your small business build a successful presence on social media platforms:
1. Lead with objectives
Start with your top three marketing objectives, then evaluate how social media may help you achieve them. Business owners buy into the idea that they have to be in all these new places or they will be left behind, but social media has to help you reach your objectives or you’re just wasting time. Don’t think of social media as a megaphone for your business, but think about how it can help you reach your goals.
2. Know your audience
Understanding your audience has profound implications for your social media marketing strategy. From the perspective of developing your content and SEO strategy, it helps you answer vital questions such as: who are your customers? What are their most urgent and pressing concerns? What kind of content do they want to see? What factors are they focused on in terms of making a buying decision. This information helps you decide what strategy will reach them most effectively on every point from design and copy to keyword research and content deployment.
3. Build your community
Concentrating on growing your community and engagement on Social Media platforms can absolutely boost sales and conversion rates. It will also lead toward amazing opportunities for collaboration. Just make sure that you understand that building engaging communities online is a marathon not a sprint. Online Communities are a form of digital currency. The more engaged your community is, the more you can cash in on opportunities for growth, partnerships, and potential leads.
4. Create a Content Calendar
Planning your social media activities will allow you to post consistently—and get more consistent results. You can create a strategy and actually get better results with less time and effort. You can determine which activities to automate and which to assign if you plan ahead.
5. Don’t try to do it yourself
As a small business owner, your time is limited, so delegate social media work to someone (or a team) in your company, or engage an outside expert. Then add the cost of your social media strategy to your budget.
Want to show the world how your business is adapting during these trying times? Reach out to us here and we will feature your business in our Customer Stories series.
