Social media has changed the way the world works, and businesses have adapted to it quickly. According to one estimate, approximately 91 percent of all businesses in the United States are using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram for their marketing efforts. This is undoubtedly a smart move as these social media platforms represent billions of people. Engaging and interacting with these people could be a serious shot in the arm for any enterprise.
But if your small business or enterprise is just starting out, how can you be sure that you are using social media platforms correctly?
Below are a few marketing tips for improving your business’s marketing efforts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Instagram has a young demographic and most people have the notion that businesses catering to “adults” won’t have much success marketing on it. This can’t be further from the truth. Instagram’s features and visual-heavy slant means it can make any company, from that offering landscaping for businesses to even natural gas providers, look more appealing.
• Use Stories
Instagram stories let people see small vignettes of your business. Since this feature is located at the top of the Instagram screen, most people will scroll through stories before checking outposts. Stories are also the primary way a business can engage with users. You can post polls, ask for questions and get their input all through your stories.
• Practice Your Photography
Don’t be happy with taking mediocre photos and trusting filters to do the work for you. Always step up your photography game when you are on Instagram. For one thing, professional and attractive photo composition will be crucial in getting users to like and share your product photos. Without great photography, your Instagram account will be dead in the water in no time.
• Go Live
Instagram Live is a valuable tool in collecting real-time information from people as well as showcase your business. For example, you can teach your viewers the steps it takes to take proper care of a weeping cherry tree, show how you bake your famous cakes or simply take the time to answer questions. Viewers will love the engagement and you can increase interest in your business in one swoop.
Tips for Facebook
Facebook is the world’s largest social media platform and as such there are already many guides on how you can ensure your business’s count gets more traction. Millions of businesses are already on the platform and using it to sell their products effectively. However, you may want a few reminders on best practices when it comes to marketing your business on the platform.
• Reply, Reply, Reply
Although most business posts will receive some comments that aren’t related to its contents, you should make an effort to keep replying to comments. Perhaps it’s a user asking for clarification on a product or a user complaining about a flaw. You can redirect them to your customer service representatives or you can answer their queries directly, either way, you will be doing a favour to your engagement.
• Get a Messenger Bot
Facebook Messenger connects countless people, but it can also become your business’s customer representative. All you need is to have someone whip up a bot to answer messages sent through the platform. Unlike human representatives, a Messenger bot is ready to reply to their questions. This will help reduces customer frustration as well as enhance your interactions.
• Post Regularly
Facebook loves regular posting and you should always have something on the deck. Maybe you are posting to remind people about your upcoming sale, uploading a video of your business’s anniversary or maybe just a simple text post in support of a group. Always post because it raises the odds of your business appearing on people’s timelines and catching attention.
Tips for Twitter
Twitter has mostly been relegated as a fringe social media platform, but it’s still very much relevant for businesses. The platform still has hundreds of millions of active users. With the right strategies, you can still boost your business through Twitter.
• Promote Your Tweet
Twitter has affordable features for small businesses, such as the Promote Tweet function. For a modest fee, you can ensure that your business’s tweet is seen by your target demographics. Just make sure that your tweet has a great link to your business pages and a good call to action.
• Schedule Tweets
People are active on social media at specific times and you can use Twitter’s scheduled tweet function to take advantage of this. Determine what hours your target demographics are checking their twitter accounts and schedule your tweets at those times to make sure people see them.
• Diversify Tweets
Not all tweets should be a bunch of sentences. You can upload pictures, short videos and infographics. Thanks to the high resolution of images on Twitter, your infographics will still look amazing even on smaller screens. The video limitations make it more likely that viewers will watch your bite-sized content until the end. Diversify your tweets and you can be surprised at the level of engagement you’ll receive.
Finally, optimize your pages for every platform. Use targeted keywords for visual and written content so that your pages show up on search results.
Social media is a great tool for every small business, but you just need to make sure you use it properly. These tips will ensure that your business remains relevant and visible on social media.
