With social media usage continuing to rise, it’s probably safe to say that social networks are here to stay. Consequently, wise business owners should seek to understand social platforms and incorporate them into their current marketing strategies. After all, with 4.62 billion active social media users in 2022 - who spend an average of two hours on various social media platforms daily - this is a demographic that shouldn't be ignored. If used correctly, social media can be a powerful and relatively inexpensive marketing and engagement tool for your business.
Thankfully, there are some tried-and-true methods for building your social media presence that can help you leverage social platforms for the betterment of your business. Here are some popular strategies to consider as a business owner:
1. Choose Which Platforms to Focus On
Yes, you can technically have a presence on every social media platform for your business if you desire. However, to get the most bang for your buck in terms of your efforts directly affecting your sales, you should choose platforms that directly resonate with your target audience.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the types of posts that work well for one social media platform may not work as well on other platforms. Therefore, it’s a good idea to do a bit of research and find out where your target audience is spending the most time and invest in building your presence on those social networks.
2. Utilize a Social Media Calendar
Another tip for building your business’s social media presence is to create and adhere to a social media calendar. A calendar can help ensure you’re posting the right content at the most effective times. Your calendar should include a mix of content such as videos, educational or informative messages, links, and photos.
Having a calendar to follow can make it easier to set aside time in the day to post something for your business. There are many free marketing calendar templates available online. Incorporating holidays and themes into your calendar can help increase your content as well.
Using an automated scheduling tool to post content on various social platforms at once can help take some work out of regularly posting. Some platforms like Facebook allow for scheduling posts directly through the network, and there are other online scheduling tools out there as well.
3. Create Brand Consistency
Having a consistent look and voice throughout your social media content can help increase brand recognition and make your business appear more professional. Consider the following tips to help ensure brand consistency on your social profiles:
If you don’t have a target goal or an overall plan when you set out to establish your social media presence, it will be more difficult to evaluate the success of your efforts. Therefore, it’s important to approach social media as a business strategy. Consider what goals you want to meet, such as the following:
5. Don’t Forget About Engagement
Don’t forget that although posting often is important to stay relevant, the volume of your posts is not necessarily the goal. The importance of engagement cannot be overstated. Engagement involves fostering a relationship with your audience, gaining their trust and confidence, and ultimately turning them into a loyal customer. You should strive to engage your customers so that they’re doing the following on social media:
If you’re a small business owner in Massachusetts or Rhode Island who’s looking to grow your business, don’t hesitate to reach out to our dedicated Business Banking Team today!
Thankfully, there are some tried-and-true methods for building your social media presence that can help you leverage social platforms for the betterment of your business. Here are some popular strategies to consider as a business owner:
1. Choose Which Platforms to Focus On
Yes, you can technically have a presence on every social media platform for your business if you desire. However, to get the most bang for your buck in terms of your efforts directly affecting your sales, you should choose platforms that directly resonate with your target audience.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the types of posts that work well for one social media platform may not work as well on other platforms. Therefore, it’s a good idea to do a bit of research and find out where your target audience is spending the most time and invest in building your presence on those social networks.
2. Utilize a Social Media Calendar
Another tip for building your business’s social media presence is to create and adhere to a social media calendar. A calendar can help ensure you’re posting the right content at the most effective times. Your calendar should include a mix of content such as videos, educational or informative messages, links, and photos.
Having a calendar to follow can make it easier to set aside time in the day to post something for your business. There are many free marketing calendar templates available online. Incorporating holidays and themes into your calendar can help increase your content as well.
Using an automated scheduling tool to post content on various social platforms at once can help take some work out of regularly posting. Some platforms like Facebook allow for scheduling posts directly through the network, and there are other online scheduling tools out there as well.
3. Create Brand Consistency
Having a consistent look and voice throughout your social media content can help increase brand recognition and make your business appear more professional. Consider the following tips to help ensure brand consistency on your social profiles:
- Create brand templates using consistent color and styles with your logo
- Determine your brand’s “voice” for your social media messaging
- If you do not have a dedicated social media employee, choose someone to consult with to ensure that your branding fits your business
- Consider integrating your business’s mission and values into your social media strategy
If you don’t have a target goal or an overall plan when you set out to establish your social media presence, it will be more difficult to evaluate the success of your efforts. Therefore, it’s important to approach social media as a business strategy. Consider what goals you want to meet, such as the following:
- Impressions
- Engagement rate
- Video views
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Conversion rate
- Number of shares
5. Don’t Forget About Engagement
Don’t forget that although posting often is important to stay relevant, the volume of your posts is not necessarily the goal. The importance of engagement cannot be overstated. Engagement involves fostering a relationship with your audience, gaining their trust and confidence, and ultimately turning them into a loyal customer. You should strive to engage your customers so that they’re doing the following on social media:
- Commenting on and “liking” your posts
- Participating in your ongoing conversations
- Sharing relevant information
- Participating in your polls or other interactive content
- Posting feedback and reviews of your business
- Showing an interest in events that you post
- Asking and answering questions
If you’re a small business owner in Massachusetts or Rhode Island who’s looking to grow your business, don’t hesitate to reach out to our dedicated Business Banking Team today!