In today’s day and age, social media is more prevalent than ever. Almost every business is on at least one social media platform, and the everyday consumer often turns to their favorite apps to find new products or services. It can feel overwhelming and hard for your business to stand out, but we’re here to share our top social media tips and best practices to help your small business flourish online.
Know Your Target Audience
When it comes to growing your social media presence, building an audience is key. The first step is to understand who your target customers are. What is their age range? What need does your product or service solve for them? Asking questions such as these will help you put your content in front of the right people. The Rule of 7 in marketing states that a potential customer must see or hear an advertisement seven times before they decide to take action and try it. Ensuring that your content reaches the right people at least seven times is key when converting customers.
Research the Right Platforms
With a plethora of social media platforms popping up constantly, it’s increasingly important to know which platforms your audience is actively using. Are they primarily on Facebook? Do they use Instagram? What about TikTok? LinkedIn? To avoid spreading yourself thin by trying to post on every single platform, focus your efforts on two, three, or possibly four different apps that your audience is most active on. Pro tip: repurpose your content to be used across multiple platforms, but make sure that it’s optimized for each one! For example, consider taking an Instagram Reel and posting it to YouTube Shorts if your audience is active on both. You could also reshare a LinkedIn post to Instagram with cohesive images. Don’t be afraid to double-dip when it comes to your content!
Keep Up with Trends, but Don’t Overdo It
Trends come and go faster than ever before. It can be overwhelming to try and keep up with each one, but don’t sweat it! Following trends on social media is a fantastic way to expand your reach and expose your content to more users, but it’s not a guaranteed way to build and sustain an audience. Social media users want to see content that provides value; this could mean sharing relevant tips, things they might not know about the industry, or answering common questions. Consider posting one or two pieces of trendy content for every nine or ten pieces of valuable, unique content. This ensures that when new users find your page from something trendy, they will also find a plethora of content that provides value and is unique to your business.
Make Sure You Have S.M.A.R.T Goals
S.M.A.R.T. goals refer to those that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. By adhering to these pillars, you are ensuring that your goals will be reached in a timely manner. The landscape of social media changes quickly, and new trends are popping up left and right. However, it’s important to know what your intentions are with social media. Do you want to reach new potential customers? Are you working to build an audience of loyal followers and customers? Are you trying to drive more people to your website? Putting a plan and goals in place will help you keep your focus on what is most important to your business in the future
