Customers young and old scroll, post, like, comment, and engage with social media on a daily basis. As a small business owner, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others present a huge opportunity to engage with leads and turn them into customers. Whether you’re offering custom corporate gifts or building brand awareness, skillful use of social media will certainly help.
Here are six tips to get you started:
1. Set a budget
Start your social media plan by setting your digital marketing budget. Look at time, funds, and goals to determine the appropriate number. Costs may include promotions, freelancers, in-house staff, and more.
To further dial it in, consider what your business objectives are and how to achieve that within your budget. For instance, if the aim is to gain 10% more leads, then a 25% traffic increase to landing pages might be needed since every visitor won’t become a lead. In addition, set aside some of your budget for paid content or collaboration with influencers.
2. Choose the right platform
Not all social media platforms are made equal, so it’s crucial to understand who uses what platform. Start by identifying your target market. Use surveys, website analytics, buyer personas, and more to understand their demographic info, interests, challenges, and other metrics.
Then, zero in on what platforms that target market uses. Gen-Z women tend to gravitate towards TikTok and Instagram, while Gen-X and Boomer men prefer YouTube, Reddit, and Facebook. Of course, there are plenty of exceptions. The key is to find out where your audience is and then go there.
3. Post consistently
Although it can be disheartening to make posts that nobody engages with, it’s important to play the long game. The more you show up, the more likely it is people will start to notice. So, fight the urge to quit within a week. Instead, post high-quality content on a consistent basis—for some businesses, that may mean daily, but for many weekly or biweekly is fine.
A simple way to stay on track is to set up a content calendar outlining what you’ll post, when you’ll post, and where.
4. Experiment and diversify
The kind of content you can post varies widely, from short videos to long podcasts, illustrations to slideshows. Each kind caters to different customers and industries, as well as the same customers at different times—sometimes, people want a quick laugh with a topical meme, and other times they want a deep dive into how a product is made.
To make informed decisions on where and when to experiment, rely on analytics, experimentation, and engagement metrics.
5. Host a contest
One of the best ways to build interest in your company is to host a contest that involves product giveaways. Create a contest that’s easy to sign up for, and spread the word across Facebook, Instagram, and any other platforms you use. Create a timeline, post updates on the competition, and giveaway t-shirts, mugs, and other custom gifts that get people excited about what you offer.
6. Stay on top of trends
This tip applies more broadly to all aspects of business, but it’s particularly important for social media, where trends quickly become viral and capture the imagination of millions. These trends can be anything from catchy soundbites and popular songs to humorous memes and captivating dances.
Whether it’s scrolling Reddit, searching Tumblr, or using TubeBuddy, there are plenty of ways to stay on top of trends.
Keep the above tips in mind, and your small business will grow one viral post at a time.