It’s no secret that social media is everywhere. According to a 2019 study, 79% of American adults were using social media on at least one platform and spending an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes per day on social media.
Social media began as a way for people to keep in touch with friends and family, but has evolved into a place where users can share what they eat, what they are wearing, and what they love. If you are a business owner, you can bet that customers are checking in on your social media to see what you are up to.
Your social media presence is an important part of your business. It can define your image and earn you customers for life. On the other hand, not taking care of your social media performance can hinder your growth. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are a few tips to help you leverage your social media presence.
Hone in on one or two platforms
In a world where bigger seems better, it can sound counterintuitive to focus on just one or two social media platforms. But having too many irons in the fire, so to speak, can spread out your focus and mean that you aren’t handling any of your social media particularly well.
The chances are that your target audience uses primarily one or two social media platforms. Check social media demographics to determine which platforms give you the best chance of connecting with your potential and current customers.
Marketing that works well for one site may not be ideal for others, so your content should be tailored to each site. Managing only one or two accounts will allow you to do an excellent job and give you the space to fine-tune your marketing strategy. For example, if you decide Instagram is the best social media site for your company, you can use these tips to help you find the best hashtags for your business.
Keep in touch with customers
You should plan to spend some time every day responding to customers. Whether it is answering questions, thanking them for referrals, or for tagging friends in your posts, responding to your customers shows them that you are engaged and trustworthy. You may not have time to respond to everyone, but checking in on your accounts every day and responding as you are able will help your company come across as reliable and personable.
In the same way, try to respond promptly to customer questions via social media messaging. Facebook in particular allows users to message businesses, and responding to those questions in a timely manner keeps your customers informed and keeps them from moving on to the next business provider on their list.
Consider a blog
Having content available on your website can help drive customers, and gives you something to share on social media. What questions do your current or future customers have? What part of your business might be interesting to customers, or what part of your process might they wish they knew more about? Starting a blog to share this type of information can be a great way to inform customers and share your knowledge and expertise. Interesting content can be shared by your customers, broadening your customer base and organically driving customers to your door.
Hire a professional
You are busy running your business, hiring workers and paying the bills and producing the content that you promise your customers. How can you possibly manage social media, on top of all the other things you do?
If you don’t have a large enough business to hire one person to be in charge of your social media and marketing, consider hiring a freelancer to help you on an as-needed basis. Many companies hire freelancers to write copy for their social media or to write regular blog posts for them. This frees you up to do the work that you need to do, while ensuring your social media game stays on point.
You can also use services such as this video ad maker for Instagram to help you make eye-catching videos with a polished look without spending a ton of time. Paying an expert to manage your social media accounts is a great investment and can return dividends when you hire the right people for the job.
Social media is more important than ever. These platforms can be a great way to leverage your business, helping you gain a good reputations and customers who will keep coming back for more.
