Let’s start with one simple fact: your business needs a social media presence.
Whether you run a local donut shop or a manufacturing plant, social media needs to be an essential piece of your business marketing strategy. At Towers Marketing Group we have clients who never thought their business had a place in social media. “What would we post? Nobody would care” are some of the common objections we hear. Today, those same businesses have thousands of followers and an engaged audience they communicate with regularly.
Social platforms help you connect with your customers, increase awareness about your brand, and boost your leads and sales. With more than three billion people around the world using social media every month, it’s not a passing trend. If you’re not using social media to reach your demographic, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
Here are a few reasons why you should invest in social media for your business.
BUILD AWARENESS
If people don’t know about your business, they can’t become your customers. Social media boosts your visibility among potential customers, letting you reach a wide audience without having to sacrifice a large amount of time and effort. And it’s free to create a business profile on all the major social networks, so why not?
Before you get started, it’s important to develop goals and even a social media strategy. Do you want new customers to discover your services? Do you hope to bring more local shoppers into your stores? Are you simply using the platforms as a communication outlet? By keeping your strategy specific, you can determine which social media channels are the best fit for your business and the “voice” of your posts.
BE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT
Customers are increasingly savvier and more discerning about which businesses they support. Before making a decision, they’ll do a quick search to browse your website and social media.
Will they find an empty profile or a rich source of information? Setting up robust profiles that you update frequently with relevant content will build your brand’s authority and make sure you make a positive first impression through social media, showing that your business is trustworthy and knowledgeable.
Don’t miss the opportunity to use social media to position yourself as a subject matter expert. Look for ways to demonstrate your expertise as a thought leader in your industry—like writing pieces related to your expertise, how-to videos, helpful guides, etc. By showing what your business offers and values, you will stand out from your competition and establish confidence in potential customers.
KEEP IT REAL
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What accounts do you follow and why? What posts do you engage with? The creative, clever ones or the stale ones? Exactly. Customers aren’t interested in businesses that publish dry, corporate-style social media posts.
Let your brand’s personality shine through in everything you share on social media. What does your brand voice sound like? How does it represent who you are? Don’t be scared to be funny, silly or even real. Posting pictures of your staff, the inner workings of your business and even challenges you’re facing can make you more approachable to your customers.
Practice getting your tone just right, whether it’s casual and funny or formal and friendly. Be true to who you are—not who you think you should be. Followers want to see real people behind your social profiles. Show them.
ENCOURAGE ENGAGEMENT
Social channels evolve, constantly releasing new features, and this rapidly changing environment can be intimidating for some business owners.
Play with new ways to connect with your audience, and give yourself permission to learn as you go. One day, you could post a series of Instagram Stories to give customers a behind-the-scenes tour of your office. The next, you could host a quick Q&A session via Facebook Live video streaming. Over time, you’ll get a better idea of your followers’ preferences.
And don’t overthink it. You can create engaging video content for social media with a simple setup—good lighting and a smartphone. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just go for it and see what happens.
PROVIDE SUPPORT
Social platforms have successfully broken down barriers between companies and their customers. Now, instead of calling a customer service line, many people turn to Facebook or Twitter to solve problems or find information.
Develop your reputation as a responsive, caring brand by offering support through social channels:
- Respond as quickly as possible to questions and concerns.
- Go out of your way to be positive and helpful.
- Listen to criticism and make customers feel heard.
- Know when to resolve public conversations in private messages.
- Create an internal system for tracking customer comments, questions, and complaints on social media.
If you get the same questions over and over, make a note of it and consider adding a FAQ section to your website. Then you can point customers there if they have additional questions.
SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY
Marketing costs add up, and not every business can afford huge campaigns. But you can get a lot of value for your dollar with social media advertising. Your business, regardless of size or budget, has an opportunity to grow your audience and reach your objectives through ads on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
When building an ad campaign, know who you’re trying to reach and what goal you want to achieve so you don’t waste any of your budget on unhelpful advertising. Avoid the “pay and pray” method where you just throw money at Facebook or Instagram and pray for results.
Avoid overly salesy ads, and instead opt for content that educates or entertains (or does both at the same time). Enlisting the help of an agency or a social media expert may be a good idea if you’re not sure how to manage campaigns to ensure results.
Social media is a crucial part of your business marketing, but it doesn’t have to be stressful to manage. Take the first step, create a profile, and start engaging with your customers. And if you have a stale profile, bring it back to life and use it as a platform to reach new and potential customers.
Towers Marketing Group helps businesses of all sizes maximize their social media presence. Whether you’re a small, local business or a national brand, we can help! Contact us to explore what social media can do for you.
