How to Make the Most of Your Time on Social Media as a Small Business Owner
As a small business owner, understanding how to utilize your time on social media first starts with understanding why you decided to implement social media as a part of your marketing strategy. Everyone is online these days and sometimes it can feel like having a presence on social media isn’t an option, but rather an obligation. Whether your goals are to increase sales, convert more customers, or create a community around your product or service, there is a place for your small business on social media. Let’s talk about how your small business can make the most of your time on social media through what we call, digital marketing.
Where to Start on Social Media for Your Small Business
Coming up with a digital marketing strategy can be overwhelming, especially in the ever-changing world of social media. How can YOUR small business utilize all of the awesome features that each platform (or your platform of choice) has to offer?
We strongly believe that success on social media first starts with understanding WHY your small business in on social media in the first place. Getting on social media because “everyone else is doing it” is a great start, but let’s take it a step further!
Utilize Social Media to Reach Your Business Goals
Anytime we meet with a client, our first question is always:
“What do you want to get out of your social media accounts?”
Often times clients will say:
To grow my following!
To have a presence online
To sell more product
These are all great reasons to be on social media for your small business. Contrary to popular belief, growing your follower count is not a strong measure of success. When we meet with clients, here are some of the goals we bring up for their digital marketing strategy:
Are you looking to increase sales or business revenue? (time is money, and your time is valuable!)
What does the community look like around your product or service?
What type of content feels most in line with your business?
What kinds of content do you enjoy creating?
Oftentimes, our client’s social media strategy involves “in-the-moment-posting” which can be great, but sometimes lacks value, brand consistency, and purpose. Having a successful social media strategy starts with not only directly converting your social media strategy to business success, but understanding the type of content that you know 1.) drives value to your audience and 2.) feels good to make and create.
Putting the “Social” in Social Media
Now more than ever, your small business needs to be putting the social in social media! If your goal for your small business on social media is to grow your clientele, let’s create conversations around your product or service.
Believe it or not, organic posting and/or paid ads aren’t the only way to get in front of your ideal customer. Let’s utilize your DMs! If you have a customer that is frequently engaging on your posts online or you notice that they are interested in products or services that your business offers, why not share your value right in their inbox rather than posting to the masses?
Here’s an example of something you could send in a DM:
“Hi! I’m so glad that you’ve been enjoying (insert your business name here)’s content. Did you know we offer 20% for new customers? (or insert a promotion or reason to go to your website here). Here’s the link if you’re interested! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Have a wonderful day! ”
Do you see how we put the social in social media without being too salesy? We made our business a conversation while also providing value. By providing value (i.e. a promotion or discount or helpful information) without being pushy, you’re giving that viewer (who by the way is a real person behind the screen), a reason to continue engaging with your business and maybe even pull out their wallet, when applicable (gasp!).
Maybe you have a client that left an amazing comment on one of your posts after they recently engaged with your business. Don’t be afraid to reach out and say:
“Hi (insert name here)! Thanks so much for your amazing comment on our recent post. We would love if you could share your experience with us on Google. (insert Google review link here) Thanks so much and we can’t wait to see you next time!”
This not only increases your overall engagement on the platform (which by the way is the current number one metric all algorithms are measuring for success), but also spreading the word about your awesome business! People enjoy sharing about happy experiences. If you go one step farther than other businesses in your industry, they WILL remember, we promise. Don’t underestimate the power of a DM to your ideal customer! Posting content is only 50% of the strategy. Engagement is the other half of the social media pie.
Why Posting Without Purpose is a Waste of Your Time
More than anything, the worst thing you can do for your business is to post without purpose. Every single post your business creates should be doing one of the following:
Inspire your audience
Educate your audience
Entertain your audience
Promote your small business
Don’t forget to include call to actions in your post. Don’t be afraid to say “hit the follow button if you want to see more of us!” Sometimes, people need to be reminded of your awesomeness and we are more than happy to do that.
Lastly, your posts should always have a purpose – whether that’s driving sales, inspiring your customers on how you use your product or service, or simply providing a feel-good post because you can – be purposeful with your social media.
Could your business be successful without social media? Absolutely. There is more than one way to market yourself and that doesn’t have to be social media. But, millions of people are on social media (hence a chance to meet a new client or customer) and it’s completely free to use – making it a great option to implement into your marketing strategy and grow your business.
Stay tuned for our FREE FRIYAY Marketing Tips, every week on Facebook!
Let’s Chat!
If your business is struggling to get a grip on certain aspects of your digital marketing strategy, MP Media offers free business consultations, in person or online to help you seize your social media strategy!
