Overwhelmed by social media?
Mar 11 – Written By Stephanie Sheargold
Hereās how to promote your business effectively.
If you are a business owner in 2019 you simply have to use social media. It is the fastest and most effective way of targeting new and current customers by allowing you to interact with each other quickly. It can be a little overwhelming to know where to begin but with a bit of research and structure social media can fit seamlessly into your daily routine.
Depending on the nature of your business there are a range of platforms available and it is important that you choose the right ones to enable you to maximise your contact with the customers you want. Facebook is still the market leader for small businesses but you can also use Twitter, Instagram and You Tube to name a few. However, it is key that you understand who you want to target as each channel has a different use. If you are brand new to social media then Facebook is an excellent starting point as with over 30 million users in the UK you can be sure that much of your target market is there. In time though you will need to ensure you are active across multiple platforms so you maximise your exposure and reach more potential customers.
Once you know which channels you will focus on you should then consider what you will post, how often and when. When you have made this decision an effective way of managing this is to create a calendar of posts. This will mean you are regularly on your contacts radar and you can also keep track of what content you are posting. Social media is different to the usual way of advertising because you need to show content that will interest people, not just constantly promoting yourself. Posts need to be engaging or followers will get bored. One great way to promote yourself to your followers and also indirectly to others is through user generated content. If for example you are a clothing brand, you could run a competition on Instagram asking followers to post photos of themselves wearing your clothes. Anyone following them will also get to see your brand and you can reach many more people without really doing anything!
It is important to know which content will draw the most views or responses from your contacts. Video grabs peopleās attention quickly, especially live video streams. Followers like to see what goes on in the business, perhaps in the factory where your products are made or what a typical day is like in the office. Content needs to be informative, engaging and varied so perhaps a video one day then a quote the next and so on. The more interesting your posts the more followers you will attract which will in turn lead to a percentage of customers. The more followers; the higher the percentage of customers. Itās not rocket science.
As you begin to post within social media channels you will begin to gain comments from followers. These will not always be positive. It is important to monitor responses to your social media posts so if there is anything of any concern you are alerted quickly. It is really important to respond quickly and professionally to any negative feedback as this shows you care about what your followers think and can hopefully avoid any issues escalating. You have to remember that there will always be people who will want their say rightly or wrongly but how you handle that is what matters. You should also on occasion respond to positive comments as well as negative as this shows you understand the importance of your followers and their interest in your brand. It also makes you a person to them rather than just a company. This will lead you to have a community of followers; people who are supportive of your business and are loyal and focussed on what you are trying to achieve. In return you can provide them with interesting and useful information, things they perhaps didnāt know or havenāt seen. This will make them want to continue to follow you and they will also share their interest by reposting your posts or chatting to their friends and family about a company they love.
If you feel that the world of social media is too time consuming for you to undertake, a VA can take that pressure away. They can plan your calendar of posts, create content, and monitor your posts to ensure that your business is out there and being noticed. If you would like the help of a VA with your social media campaign, contact Timpi today.