Life is not easy for a small business owner. A lot of the time people don’t understand how many different hats you wear. Not only are you the CEO, but you are the customer service representative, accountant, laborer, and probably even Facebook manager. Social media can seem like a daunting task, but it can actually be quite simple with these key strategies.
As a social media manager, I can tell you right now that digital marketing on social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram is the future. If you’re not doing it, you are missing out on hundreds, maybe even thousands of leads and potential customers. You don’t need to spend hours a day researching, interacting, and posting, but when you’re just starting out it is vital to create a Presence on social media. With these 5 tips, you will not only be able to keep your customers up-to-date on vital information about your business, but you will also be able to attract new eyes on your growing company.
- Keep your content clean and simple.
- When new accounts are viewing your pages, they should be able to determine within 5 seconds or less who you are and what you’re offering. Don’t post blurry or bad-quality pictures, make sure the background doesn’t have too much going on. I promise this will go a long way with your followers.
- Post on Instagram and Facebook at least 3 times a week.
- It may seem excessive but studies have shown it takes a person an average of 7 times to see something on social media before they trust something enough to buy it. This can be applied to any niche. Whether you offer a service, sell a product, or are educational. The more you post, the more you are imprinting on your followers. When they need what you offer, they will be more likely to think of you because they are seeing your content consistently.
- Join your local Facebook groups.
- This is my secret strategy that your competitors likely aren’t doing. It’s free marketing to everyone in your area. It’s a great way to build relationships with your potential customers and find the people who need what you offer. Search for groups like your city or state’s business alliance if you are a service business. For example, if you just searched “Utah business alliance” in the groups feature on Facebook, there is a group of over 8,000 small business owners and customers that you could market to for free. Everyone that is a part of that group is or wants to support small and local businesses. It’s like word of mouth but on steroids.
- As of when I am writing this in March of 2022, Instagram is pushing these two features - Reels and The Shop Tab.
- What this means is that the app is trying to get more users to utilize these new aspects so they are pushing your content to a larger audience to promote that feature. The shop tab is a bit more niche to people selling a product, but Reels can apply to any sort of account and is a great tool to reach an astounding number of potential customers. If you are trying to grow on Instagram organically, Reels are truly the best way to do that. I recently had a Reel that got 8.9 million views, all of which were 100% organic with no paid ads. Imagine being able to get your small business seen by almost 9 million people completely for free. That could be life-changing for you and your business. Take 10 minutes a day to scroll through reels, find a video or sound that can apply to your niche, and don’t be afraid to post it. Some of my most viral videos took me less than 5 minutes to make and they were very simple.
- Get on TikTok.
- I know it can seem scary and childish, but the viral nature of TikTok can completely change your business overnight. I’m telling you right now that thousands of small businesses see huge success from posting consistently on the app. All it takes is using a popular sound and a mixture of trending and niche-specific hashtags to get your target audience to find your account. And don’t think that your target audience isn’t on there because I can guarantee that they are. If you are trying to grow fast, I would recommend posting as many as 3 times a day. TikTok promotes creators that post frequently and consistently.
Social media shouldn’t feel daunting. With the right strategies and schedule, I promise you it can be easy and an amazing tool to grow your small business. If you aren’t on social media, I would highly suggest you get on there as soon as you can. You are truly missing out on so many potential customers for your business. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! I know you can do it!
