If your business has still not adopted a social media marketing strategy,
what is stopping you?
Although roughly 91% of large businesses use the tactic, smaller businesses are still lagging by over 30%.
When I began working with social media a dozen years ago, there was resistance by my company. It was the new frontier, and they didn’t understand why the company should embrace this tactic. Here is the advice that I gave to them:
“Social media is a massive conversation. The conversation is going on with or without you. It is a free opportunity to tell your business story and gain exposure for your brand. Shouldn’t you join in?”
This basic principle still holds true today. So, I ask you again, what is stopping you? Do you still believe a free conversation cannot lift your revenue and is a waste of your staff’s time? Or is it a tactic that you don’t understand?
Let me try to break down the basics for you.
Where to start? Define your audience. From LinkedIn to Facebook and Twitter, each has a different audience.
Facebook is one of the primary social media outlets for both business and pleasure. Currently, Facebook captures about 69% of adult users. Approximately 74% of them view the site at least once daily. Facebook users are 75% women, with the lion share in the 25-30 age group. However, the platform spills over to 18-24 and 30-49 age brackets as well. True bottom line, if you are trying to reach an audience of any age, you can’t go wrong with Facebook for marketing your business to consumers.
Once the platform to share family news and pictures, Facebook has become one of the best business platforms for consumer audience reach. But Instagram is not far behind as well as Twitter, Snapchat and LinkedIn. YouTube and TicTok are highly revered if you want to share video content. Each trends toward a unique audience. To be effective with social media, you will want to choose your audience carefully. Here is a great up-to-date breakdown on the demographics of various social media networks.
Your social media presence represents your brand, and it needs to look and sound like it. There is strategy behind this.
First, when establishing your channel, make sure the graphics accurately represent your company. Have a clean version of your logo and a strong color pallet. Use photos and videos that clearly tell your story. Here are a few examples:
Your conversation should be transparent yet strategic. Use it to promote your products or support your advertising. It is a great way to drive people to look at your website, which raises your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Based upon your product, find your voice. Are you all business or playful?
Social media uses the rule of thirds. Your efforts should be directed in three ways:
Your first goal is to promote what you do. Talk about your business with beautiful images of what you do. Second, respond with your followers and follow them. It is crucial that you don’t keep your followers hanging. Remember, you want to get your product in front of the most eyes. If they take the time to respond, good or bad, respond back, thanking them for their input and asking them how you can help them further. Invite them to take it offline by providing your contact information, especially if it is a negative comment. Finally, show that you know your business by sharing trends in your industry, or ways that your business could benefit your followers.
A strategic social media program takes planning and knowledge of best practices. First, plan your strategy. Don’t just post something for the sake of having a post. Decide what you want to say for a block of time. If you have an advertising campaign or blog, try to align your posts to support these other tactics. As for when to post, there are days and times when you will most benefit. Click here to learn more about posting algorithms and timing.
I highly recommend using a scheduling tool that will help you to plan. There are many out there with varying perks. Some contain design elements, while others may only schedule in certain platforms. Here is a handy list of some of the best schedulers.
I know that I’ve thrown a lot at you if you are a social media novice but don’t despair. Business Designs Unlimited can assist you with your art design and messaging for your social media program. Currently, we have a special:
We will create 27 beautiful posts, including tags and hashtags, for $450 a month. This is a $200/month savings available only until Feb. 28, 2021.
