More than 70 percent of small businesses plan on using social media for marketing this year, according to data from Infusionsoft. But not all of those businesses have an actual strategy.
Posting content here and there isn’t going to be as effective as going in with a real plan. Every strategy will look a bit different, but there’s no shortage of options to choose from.
Start with one platform and build from there
When you’re just getting started building a social media presence, it can be tempting to go all in and attempt to reach people on every platform. But this is a recipe for overwhelm.
Create a unified presence
Whether you end up using one social platform or many, it’s important for people to be able to spot your brand anywhere online. It should look professional and consistent with your website and other marketing materials. So update your profile photos and header images to go with your branding.
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes
Building a content strategy looks a bit different for every business. You’ll never post exactly the same content or topics as anyone else. However, it is always important to post things that are going to be interesting or helpful specifically for your target customers.
So before posting new content, get in the mindset of your customer and ask what you’d want to see.
Promote reviews
Though social media posts are great, many people still trust official reviews more. Sites like Facebook offer a review function, so it’s a great place to promote positive reviews, which adds some social proof and also reminds other customers to share their thoughts.
Share behind the scenes media
Anyone can go to your website to learn the basics about your business. But people follow brands on social media to make deeper connections. That means you should show the people behind your business in your post.
Share a selfie or go live on Facebook to connect with people face-to-face. Share some video content from your office. Or even go live at a special event with your whole team.
Stick to your own voice
One of the keys to social media is consistency. Another is authenticity. People who follow you want to feel like they actually know you. So don’t switch between posting techniques or tones or change up your content whenever there’s a fleeting trend.
Instead, go for an authentic approach and actually post how you would when talking to a friend. If you have multiple people posting to your account, make sure they understand the voice you’re trying to convey or even have a similar style naturally.
Don’t rely on automation
Automating social media posts can save you a lot of time when it comes to things like promoting blog posts or aggregating content. But you shouldn’t rely on it solely.
Set aside at least some time each day to check in on your network and look for opportunities to start conversations.
Go live
There is one increasingly popular tactic that allows you to show off a behind the scenes view of your business while also increasing follower engagement in a really authentic way — live streaming.
You can host live sessions on Facebook or Instagram at a set time each week or month so your audience knows when to tune in. Then you can also repurpose that content.
Monitor and respond
The thing that really sets social media apart from other communication methods is that it’s a two-way street. You don’t just broadcast messages to your audience — they use it to get in touch with you. So it’s really important that you monitor those messages regularly and respond.
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