Social media marketing is currently on the rise, with more and more small business owners investing in Facebook ads and online promotions. Social media has evolved to become a key player in every small business and knowing how to employ social media marketing the right way can mean the difference between success and failure.
- Choose your social media platform
Not every social media platform suits your business and audience. Instead of investing in all, it’s better to stick with one – but choose it wisely. A quick look at the top social media platforms reveals that Facebook is the most popular social media platform, with almost 940 million daily users, followed by LinkedIn with 364 million members, Twitter with 302 million, Pinterest with 40 million, and Google Plus with 6 million monthly users. Every social media platform comes with its benefits. Facebook is perfect for detailed ad targeting, but Twitter engages customers easily with text and video sharing. LinkedIn is better for connecting with professionals, while Pinterest is generally more suited to younger users.
- Post relevant information
The first question most business owners would ask themselves is: what should I post? The best way to answer that question is to research your competitors on social media. Generally, you should strive to provide your audience with interesting content, such as news, trending topics, lists and tutorials. Make sure to add videos and images, as picture-related content generally produces more views and leads. Quotes and motivational thoughts are always a good idea, as they’re an easily sharable content. Finally, use promotions to let your clients know about your latest services, products and deals.
A rule of thumb you should follow is the golden 80/20 – 80% of what you post needs to be interesting to your audience. Limit yourself to only 20% promotional posts and content about your business.
- Grow your business audience
Different platforms offer different ways to build your online audience. If you’re on Facebook, you can use Facebook ads, but make sure you target them to the specific audience. Use your page to comment on other posts. For Instagram and Pinterest, comment on other people’s share with your business account, rather than your personal one.
