Utilizing social media in your small-business marketing strategy

In our ever-changing age of media, technology and social networks, it's becoming vital for small businesses to have a successful social media marketing strategy. If done correctly, it can work wonders for your company's outreach. That being said, it takes some background knowledge to execute a proper social media plan. Social media is your chance to brand yourself exactly how you want your customers to see you. With multiple platforms available, the capacity for visuals, content and more, social media provides your company with the chance to stand out from your competitors in a unique and personal way.

Some small-business owners spoke to Forbes, giving some examples of tips and tricks that every small business should understand and utilize when it comes to their social media marketing strategy. One rule was to "lead with your objectives." Make sure that your overall marketing goals align with what you're doing on social, otherwise you're wasting your time. Another bit of advice mentioned how important it is to have a conversation with your audience, a.k.a. "Show appreciation."

Try to avoid having your social media presence be entirely about your accomplishments or the awards that your company has won along the way. If your audience is engaging with you, engage back. Another small-business owner detailed the importance of creating a strategic calendar in the Forbes piece. A calendar can help you schedule out what content you're going to post and when. Not only does this save time and energy, but it can also help to keep you more organized. Before long, you will see your posts performing much more consistently amongst your target audience.

The Balance: Small Business also gave some tips for small businesses utilizing social media. First of all, if your company is new to social media, pick just one platform for your company to focus on at first. Having trouble identifying which platform to choose? Make sure your target audience is specifically defined. From there, you can choose which platform appeals best to that target audience. Another tip for new social media users: outline the approach that your business will be taking on social media. Do you want to be able to provide informational updates to your readers, or maybe give them more of a personal, inside look at your brand? Whatever you decide to do, stick to that approach and maintain consistency. It's crucial to have a strong brand voice that remains consistent throughout all of your social posts.

In terms of the actual content that your brand is putting out, one way to ensure engagement is the inclusion of interesting visuals. Hootsuite notes that some brands may have difficulty figuring out what visuals would be fitting for their brand, but provides examples that include showcasing a typical day behind-the-scenes at the company, or perhaps a customer testimonial through the use of photos and videos.

Having a strong social presence gives you a better chance of retaining customers. Sprout Social found that people are 57.5% more likely to buy from a brand that they follow on social media, as well as being 71% more likely to buy from a brand that they have had a positive experience with on social. With a strong social presence comes a responsibility to appropriately cater to your followers. Sprout also found that the number one reason consumers unfollow a brand on social media is because of a brand being too promotional. Keep your messages consistent with what the consumer wants to see.

As technology rapidly advances, your marketing strategy should too. This includes involving social media in your daily marketing plan. A strong social media strategy will ultimately help boost your small business in terms of outreach and engagement.

Categorised in: Starting a Business in Arizona

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