Many small business owners struggle to get their brands known. While traditional marketing methods such as print ads, TV commercials, and radio spots are still somewhat effective, they can also be expensive and complicated for small businesses to afford.
Fortunately, social media has completely revolutionized how small businesses market themselves. With a large user base and low cost of entry, social media platforms offer endless opportunities for small businesses to build their brand.
Discover how these digital platforms innovate marketing for small business owners.
The Growing Importance of Social Media in Marketing
Social media has become a powerful tool for small businesses to reach and engage with their target audience as the world grows connected. With over four billion active social media users worldwide, platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide an unparalleled opportunity for businesses to promote their products or services.
This number is expected to grow exponentially by the end of 2024, with experts predicting over five billion active users at the end of the year. This rising number of social media users plays a vital role in e-commerce. In a published article, experts discovered that 76% of social media users purchase what they see on the platform.
The same article also points out how efficient social media was in introducing new products to customers. Around 65% of U.S. consumers state that they find new products and brands they like using social media.
Social Media Marketing Impact on Small Businesses
Numerous businesses have found success with the help of social media. Here are some examples to help motivate you:
Enchanted Scrunch: This customized scrunchie business succeeded after posting a viral short-form video on TikTok. According to Dasha Derkach, Enchanted Scrunch founder, over 90% of her sales are generated on TikTok after her hit reel.
JarvieDigital Photography: JarvieDigital is a photography business founded by Scott Jarvie. Scott focused on developing his engagement strategies on Facebook and Google+ to grow his business.
Repair Clinic: Repair Clinic is a Michigan-based one-stop shop for all appliance parts and other repair needs. This local business leverages long-form content to provide in-depth repair tutorials and shares them on various platforms.
As you can see, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to social media marketing. Each business has a unique approach that works best for them.
Effective Social Media Tactics for Small Businesses
Although social media strategies are unique from one business to another, developing your unique strategy usually involves a general process. Here are some small business social media strategies to help you formulate your own tactics.
Know Who Your Customers Are
This advice might be overused, but many small business owners neglect this. Knowing your customers doesn’t just involve knowing their age, gender, usernames, email addresses, or birthdays.
How people behave and shop online tells a lot about their online habits. It gives you an insight into what content or product they might be interested in, which leads to higher engagement and conversion rates. Learn to read between the lines and leverage analytical tools to understand your audience’s behavior.
Know Who You’re Up Against
Aside from knowing who your audience is, it’s equally vital to understand who you’re up against. Research small business brands that offer the same services or products and target the same audience or demographics as you; these are your competitors.
Follow their socials closely. See which posts or types of content work for them, how they engage with their audiences, and their social media marketing pipeline. Understanding how your competitor executes their marketing strategies can help you develop better plans and improve your tactics.
Understand What Works for Your Business
As stated earlier, no two strategies work for the same business. All effective digital and traditional marketing tactics are unique to specific businesses. Understand what content gets the most reactions, shares, comments, or interactions and what platform works best for your business.
For instance, Instagram is an exceptional platform for advertising visual products like clothing, food, or decor. On the other hand, Twitter can be an excellent opportunity for service-based businesses as they can post quick updates or engage in conversations with their customers.
Organize Content With a Calendar
Once you have all the information you need, it’s time to curate your content and share it with your audience. Again, the type of content you create varies depending on your business and the platform where you’ll post it. Before you start publishing, you need to have a game plan.
A content calendar will help you keep track of your posts, schedule them for publishing, and ensure consistency in your content. The frequency of your posting will depend on your strategy. Your content calendar will serve as the backbone for your social media marketing plans and make sure you’re making progress.
Dedicate Time To Engage With Your Customers
Many business owners on social media use the hit-and-run strategy: they hit publish and run their cursor to close the browser. However, this isn’t the best way to do it. Social media platforms were created for people to connect and socialize, so you should prioritize engaging with your followers.
Responding to comments, acknowledging tags, and engaging in conversations humanizes your brand. It lets users know that there’s a human behind the screen taking care of your account. Make sure to set aside time after every post or a few times a day to respond to your audience’s comments and messages.
Transforming Business With Social Media Platforms
There’s no such thing as a “bad” social media platform in terms of marketing. You’re just talking to the wrong audience. Here are some popular platforms and how businesses usually use them.
Facebook is the largest social media platform, with roughly three billion active users worldwide in 2023. This platform caters to a vast age range. Whether you’re targeting Gen X parents, the trendy Gen Zs, or the Millenials, you can find them all on Facebook.
A lot of content works on Facebook. From publishing eye-catching visuals to stunning video ads or witty posts, you can reach a broad range of audiences with the right content. Engagement is vital to thriving in Facebook’s algorithm. Create relatable and interactive content to generate conversations with your audience.
TikTok
TikTok is the home of the Gen Zs, Gen Alphas, and younger Millennials. It’s a platform where short-form videos are king. If your brand is young, trendy, and vibrant, TikTok can be an excellent platform for showcasing your products or services.
Experts estimate that there are about 834 million active TikTok accounts worldwide, making it one of the most used platforms. Content that usually thrives on TikTok includes DIY videos, behind-the-scenes content, or humorous clips.
Other Notable Platforms
Facebook and TikTok are the go-to platforms for most businesses, but many others are worth mentioning:
Instagram: This platform is best for businesses or services with stunning visuals. Instagram is a perfect fit if you have a graphic design business or sell bespoke products.
LinkedIn: This platform caters to professionals and entrepreneurs. If your business targets B2B clients or needs to establish professional connections, LinkedIn is an excellent platform for you.
Twitter (X): Twitter acts like a micro-blog where people share their thoughts in bite-sized tweets. It’s an excellent platform for software companies, influencers, or bloggers.
Leverage Social Media for Small Business Growth
Social media doesn’t only connect people regardless of borders. This medium also helps small businesses compete with giant companies and thrive. With the right social media marketing strategy, your small business can attract a large audience and grow exponentially.
Social media marketing doesn’t yield results overnight; it’s a long, enduring process filled with countless trials and errors. Persistence and consistency are vital to make it work.
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