Long gone are the days when social media was just a convenient place for sharing vacation pics or funny cat memes.
It has evolved into a powerful tool that can supercharge your business growth. But with so many platforms and strategies, it’s difficult to determine how to start, which platforms you should leverage, and how to make the most of your effort — especially when you’re also juggling the daily demands of running a business.
In this post, we’ll break down the essentials of social media for businesses, providing you with actionable tips and strategies to help you boost your visibility, reputation, and, ultimately, ROI.
Let’s dive in and explore the strategies you can implement.
1. Know Your Audience (And Where They Hang Out)
This tip is very easily Social Media 101, but it’s surprising how many businesses miss this step.
Before you start posting, take some time to define your ideal customer.
What are their interests, demographics, and pain points?
Once you have a clear picture, you can figure out which platforms they’re most active on. This way, you’ll avoid spreading yourself too thin and waste time and resources trying to reach the wrong customers.
For example, if you’re targeting a younger audience, TikTok or Instagram might be your best bet. Similarly, these two platforms are indispensable for the fashion, food, and travel industries, all of which heavily rely on visually oriented content.
What’s even better is that Instagram allows you to add product links directly to your posts or stories, making it easier for potential customers to purchase your products. This can significantly shorten the sales cycle and boost your revenue. Let’s not forget that Instagram boasts the highest ROI and is tied with Facebook in terms of this metric.
Similarly, TikTok is ideal for showcasing your brand’s personality and creativity through short, engaging videos that can quickly go viral.
On the other hand, for the B2B industry, LinkedIn could be more valuable since all the companies and business professionals are concentrated there. This is where you’ll find decision-makers, potential clients, and, most importantly, some of the top investors who generously share their advice on success.
If your goal is to generate leads or network with other professionals in your niche, LinkedIn is the perfect platform for this. Sharing long-form articles and industry insights could help you build your authority and attract the right people to your brand.
Similarly, X (formerly Twitter), although used for a slightly different purpose, could serve as an excellent tool for networking and connecting with other professionals in your industry.
It’s also an excellent way to stay on top of the latest trends and news and get in touch with investors who are very active on this platform and who often share interesting business opportunities. With its fast-paced nature and real-time conversations, X can be a valuable asset for companies looking to establish a strong brand voice and engage in meaningful dialogues with their target audience.
Focus your efforts on the platforms where you’ll find your target customers to maximize your impact.
2. Craft a Content Strategy That Sparks Engagement
Think of your social media presence as a digital storefront. You want it to be visually appealing, informative, and engaging.
Plan out a mix of content types:
- Behind-the-scenes peeks. Give followers a glimpse into your company culture or product creation process. This will add a layer of authenticity and put a face to the name.
- Customer spotlights. Share positive reviews or user-generated content to include your customers in the content creation process and acknowledge their feedback.
- Industry news and insights. Position yourself as a thought leader in your field, as this will bring you lots of as this will bring you lots of credibility and trust. Sharing valuable insights can help you attract new customers and retain existing ones.
- Contests and giveaways. Generate excitement and buzz around your brand. Plus, rewards and freebies trigger the reciprocity principle and encourage participants to return the favor by converting and becoming paying customers.
- Talk to your followers. Don’t ignore your followers’ questions, comments, or even negative feedback. Always aim to reply promptly and address their concerns. This shows you value their input and are willing to go the extra mile, which can lead to increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.
Remember, social media is a two-way street. Encourage conversations, respond to comments, and ask questions to get your audience involved.
3. Use the Power of Visual Storytelling
Humans are visual creatures. We process images much faster than text, and they tend to stick in our minds. In fact, research suggests that people are 65% more likely to remember information if it’s paired with a relevant image.
Incorporate high-quality photos, videos, and graphics into your posts. A well-designed infographic can explain a complex concept more effectively than a lengthy caption. Plus, with our declining attention spans, your potential customers will be more likely to pay attention to a colourful visual that serves bite-sized chunks of information than click on the link that will take them to a 1,000+ blog post discussing the same concept.
Video is another format that could completely transform your social media strategy. While hi-res, professional-looking videos are a must, sometimes all it takes is a smartphone and a little creativity. For example, Going’s Instagram videos are usually infused with humour, and they don’t use all the whistles and bells typical of professionally produced content. Still, they gain a lot of traction thanks to the refreshing authenticity and relatable, funny approach.
If video isn’t your forte, you can always use tools like Canva or Adobe Express to create eye-catching visuals. Remember to optimize your images for each platform’s specific dimensions to ensure they look their best.
4. Harness the Potential of Social Media Advertising
Organic reach is great, but sometimes you need a little paid boost. Social media advertising allows you to target your ideal customers with laser precision. You can define your audience based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and even location. This means your ads are more likely to be seen by people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.
LinkedIn is known for its highly granular filters, which allow you to target your audience using a number of different parameters, making sure that your ads reach the most relevant professionals.
Start with a small budget and experiment with different ad formats. Keep a close eye on your analytics to see what’s working and what’s not. Over time, you’ll be able to refine your strategy and get more bang for your buck.
5. Consistency Is Key (But Don’t Be a Robot)
It’s crucial to post regularly to keep your audience engaged, but don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. It’s better to post three high-quality posts a week than to spam your followers with irrelevant content every day in an attempt to stay top of mind and gain visibility.
This way, you’ll only be doing yourself a disservice and prompting a wave of unfollows.
Create a content calendar to help you stay on track and ensure a consistent flow of posts. But remember, social media is supposed to be social! Don’t be afraid to inject some personality into your posts. Share behind-the-scenes snippets, answer questions, and participate in relevant conversations. This human touch can go a long way toward building relationships with your audience and making your brand more relatable.
While consistency is key, don’t be overly rigid with your schedule. Allow for flexibility to reference trending topics or share spontaneous moments that feel authentic.
Nobody does it better than Wendy’s, as the brand never misses an opportunity to jump on the latest pop-culture trends bandwagon and roast their competitors, particularly McDonald’s. The following post was a hilarious ad hoc reaction to the popular fast-food chain announcing their plan to create the biggest burger ever and Wendy’s roasting it like a pro.
So, it’s a balancing act, but finding the right rhythm will keep your audience engaged without feeling overwhelmed. Of course, when the opportunity presents itself, make sure to use it an post something relevant that will piggyback on the latest hype and initiate conversations and shares.
6. Track, Analyse, and Adapt
Last but not least, social media platforms offer a wealth of analytics tools to help you understand how your content is performing. Pay attention to metrics like reach, engagement, clicks, and conversions. Use this data to identify what types of posts resonate most with your audience and inform your future strategies.
Don’t be afraid to experiment by trying out different posting times, formats, and topics to see what works best. And always be open to feedback from your followers.
Final Thoughts
Social media offers immense potential to boost your business. It’s essential to have the right strategy in place, and keep on monitoring and improving it based on the results you achieve. These simple tips can help you get started or refine your approach for much better engagement and conversion rates.
About the Author:
Sarah Kaminski is a business manager and social media marketer. She works with a number of small businesses to build their brands through more engaging marketing and content. X- @SarahKaminski10