Did you know that over half of the world's population is on social media?
With this in mind, even if your target audience resides exclusively in your country, there is still tremendous opportunity for any small business owner.
Yet, implementing an effective social media strategy that drives positive results for your small business takes time, effort, and expertise.
Considering the above, this post is for you if you're struggling to craft a social media marketing strategy that works for your small business.
Let's begin.
Understand Your Audience
You should avoid posting on social media without first understanding who you're talking to.
That is to say, researching your audience and creating a buyer persona will help ensure you use the specific language that resonates with your ideal customer.
Understand Your Brand and Values
People tend to trust and engage more with those representing brands than the actual brands themselves.
Consequently, small business owners and their staff should maintain authenticity, whether online or off.
Deliver Value
The content that you post to your social media accounts – whether it's a meme, a link to a blog post, or an infographic – should deliver value to your audience.
With the above in mind, you must be clear about who you are, who they are, and what you can offer them.
Demonstrate That You Are a Genuine and Credible Person
Again, people typically prefer engaging with the people behind a brand rather than the brand itself.
To emphasize, a brand can shine one day and then suffer a setback the next.
Yet, those behind the brand can bounce back when perceived as credible and genuine.
Thus, showing your audience that you're a real person is crucial.
Focus on Building Your Reputation
Social networking and content marketing will help build your reputation over time.
Accordingly, blogging, publishing books, speaking at events, and going live on Facebook or YouTube will demonstrate to your audience that you are who you claim to be.
Avoid Over-Marketing
People typically use social media to connect with others, discover new ideas, and access news and entertainment.
Hence, they aren't primarily on social media platforms to make purchases, even though they sometimes will.
Consequently, you should focus primarily on providing valuable content with a relevant call to action.
Create, Curate, and Post Sharable Content
Creating, curating, and posting shareable content is among the most effective ways to increase engagement on social media sites.
Considering this, ensure that your content is interesting, visually appealing, and informative.
Understand the Importance of SEO When Posting
Search engine optimization isn't just for websites; it's also for social media platforms.
That's to say, it's paramount for an effective social media posting strategy.
Considering the above, a socially driven blog post with comments functions like a social media post.
Therefore, always include a keyword-rich, targeted, and compelling title.
Additionally, using SEO tools can help facilitate your platform-specific SEO strategies.
Use Captivating Images
The better you present your blog posts on your website or social media sites, the more likely your target audience will click on them.
Correspondingly, including compelling images that add visual depth and meaning to your posts will encourage increased sharing and reading.
With this in mind, consider incorporating your unique images instead of stock photos.
Notably, these can include images that you take or create via AI.
Finally, ensure you properly optimize each social media account you use to market your small business.
To emphasize, knowing your strategy and who you're targeting will help you keep things organized regardless of whether you're focusing on one or multiple platforms.
In Conclusion
Given the points above, navigating the world of social media marketing can prove challenging.
Even so, maintaining a clear understanding of your audience, an authentic representation of your brand, and a commitment to delivering valuable content will help ensure a successful strategy for your small business.
Get started today!
Hope this helps,
Erik
We implement creative, results-based digital and hybrid marketing strategies for local business clients.
You can visit our home page and view our service plan options by clicking the button below.
