You need your website to build and earn a reputation, trust and loyalty for your brand.
You need Social Media for Small Business to get their attention.
Pick A Platform
Instagram
A picture is worth a thousand words. 59% of 18-29 year olds use Instagram and it’s great for promotions, contests, and products. The millennial playground. Instagram is our favorite platform because it is visual.
Facebook
76% of all internet users are on Facebook
Twitter
80% of Twitter users post from mobile devices. It’s fast paced and good for customer service interactions.
Linked In
Is the largest professional social network and great for B2B connections. Use it to showcase yourself as an expert in your field.
Pinterest
1/3 of online users are Pinners! Pinterest has a large female base.
SnapChat
Most users are in their teens and twenties so if they are your primary audience feel free to create a tutorial with the bunny filter.
First things first
Prep your website.
All promotional products, including your website, should promote your social media accounts with links, buttons, or social media handles. Your website and social media accounts should be consistent and cohesive when it comes to logo, colors, cover image, business name and other branding elements.
Your business goals and social media strategy have to work together.
Make some SMART GOALS
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Time Bound
Apply this to your social media strategy. Check on your measurable goals often. Take advantage of analytics: Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Instagram Insight, etc.
Keep your focus and be realistic about Social Media for Small Business
What does Social Media for Small Business accomplish? It helps you:
- Drive traffic to your website
- Generate leads
- Create brand awareness
- Create a platform to communicate with clients
So adjust your expectations because although social media allows you to do these things, it is not the answer to all of your small business problems. Be realistic about your social media strategy.
A Word About Branding
- Pick a logo that makes your brand distinctive
- Pick a name that defines your company and preferably, carries your main keywords
- Smiling and happiness catches peoples attention all the time so let your brand and posts be positive
- Be the best solution for a problem. This is called “The Ability To Identify A True Market Need & Filling It.” Your brand should run parallel to this need becoming synonymous with it. Think Kleenex. The word Kleenex is used often to say tissue, when in reality it is the brand.
Build Relationships
- Build relationships first and make money later. In other words, spend more time building relationships and less time promoting.
- Take time to get to know your target audience.
- Be consistent in branding, message, and efforts.
- Tap into your audience’s interests and be an inspiration to them.
- Don’t be afraid to get personal. Let your audience get to know you.
- Be in it for the long haul. Persistence pays off in Social Media for Small Business.
Live and Breathe Honesty
It’s good for everyone!
- Be honest for your brand to be considered trustworthy and likable. Honesty builds up audience loyalty.
- Practice full disclosure: All things eventually come to light.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes as long as you take responsibility for them.
- Be consistent and respond quickly and honestly.
- Don’t lie, say things people want to hear, or make promises you can’t keep.
Handling Bad Reviews and Comments
Respond to bad comments or reviews quickly. Do the same for good comments and reviews and show gratitude. How to handle bad comments and reviews:
- Give a brief public answer and then contact them privately
- Admit & take responsibility for mistakes and show how you will fix the problem.
- Never try to delete bad reviews and comments, unless they are racist, sexually explicit, violent, profane, etc.
Create a Separate Google Account
A dedicated Google account for your small business is a must.
- Google Business Profile or Business Listing: Keep your business listing updated and accurate.
- Webmaster: Make sure your website is being crawled correctly by Google and make sure your sitemap is uploaded.
- Analytics: Track all traffic to your site. See demographics and behavior. This allows you to analyze and adjust your goals and strategy.
Create a Social Media Posting Calendar
- Take advantage of social media trends and events. Google Trends is also a good place to look to see what people are searching for so you can create relevant content.
- Pay attention to what people are liking. Work these into your posting calendar.
- For Facebook and Instagram post 1-2x a day. Twitter, post 20x a day.
- Experiment with posting times to see when you get more exposure and interactions.
- Post consistently and frequently but don’t be annoying.
Social Media Writing 101
- Identify your audience.
- Give them a name and personality.
- Change your tone and topic to help them.
- Write in a conversational tone because social media is a conversation.
- If it’s a topic that tends to divide people it’s not going to help your brand.
- If you wouldn’t say it to your mother don’t say it on social media.
- Stay away from industry jargon and cliche words and phrases.
Content Is Still King
- Your content should be a contribution to the social media community.
- It should be appealing, informative, useful and interactive.
- 80/20 Content Rule
- 80% of posts should be useful content. Tips, advice, videos, links, etc.
- 20% of posts should be direct advertising for your business
Pictures
- Images are the most widely shared so pick good ones.
- Your images should be eye catching, entertaining, and have an emotional quality.
- Take it easy on stock photos. Stock doesn’t have that cozy feeling.
Videos
- Keep them short, 1-2 minutes.
- Invest in quality production.
- Make them informative & entertaining.
- Get to know Youtube.
The Anatomy Of A Post
- Use quality images
- Add a link to your website
- Include a SHORT benefit statement
- Use #HASHTAGS
- Check-In & Tag (if possible)