Social media for a small business can feel overwhelming and challenging, especially if you’re a solo entrepreneur. Social media does make spreading the word about your small business faster or easier. By having an active social media presence, you can start building relationships with your audience.
When it comes to managing your own social media, less is more. Pick one or two social networks and focus on quality over quantity.
Why Social Media Marketing is Important for Small Businesses
Finding New Customers
- Social media offers a place to find new customers or for your current customers to recommend your brand to their friends and family. Followers can leave positive reviews, tag your business, or share your posts on their feeds. Social engagement helps expand who hears about your brand and decides they’re interested in learning more out your services.
Marketing on a Small Budget
- Posting on social media is free, but organic (free) reach is getting harder. Fewer people may see your posts. You can always find new followers and expand your reach by putting some money into Facebook or Instagram promotions, and a little bit can go a long way.
Increasing your Sales
- Attracting potential customers through social media can easily generate successful new leads which can lead to new sales.
Improving Search Engine Ranking
- The more you share content and engage with people on social media, the chances of improving your SEO ranking is greater. Social media activity is a Google SEO signal so make sure you’re posting and replying on all of your social channels.
Social Media and Customer Service
- Potential customers expect a fast response from you. A study by Sprout Social found that people expect a response via your social media channel within four hours. In truth, the average response time is ten hours. Your customers expect you to reply or solve their problem right away. Your company needs to meet the expectations of customers by responding quickly.
Social Media is for Being Social, not “Salesy”
We open Facebook and Instagram to be social with other people as well as our favorite brands. These channels are viewed as places to be social, not as marketing machines. People don’t go on social media to hear your sales pitch. They’re there to be social so they want human engagement.
Instead of pitching to your followers, start seeing social media as a way to connect. Help people out by answering their questions. Write content that is entertaining and will make your followers laugh. Get to know our interests, goals, and challenges so you will be able to serve us better.
By maintaining a strong social media presence, you can build brand loyalty and credibility as a business.