Social media plays an integral role in a small business’s success. Having a social media marketing strategy has become a critical part of business growth. Without a social media profile is like not having a website. It’s where all of your customers meet, greet, and connect with people who already love and appreciate your brand.

If you’re not yet familiar with using social media, it could be kind of scary. With these simply social media marketing tips, your small business can reach new markets, drive more sales, and build brand awareness.

Set Social Media Goals & Objectives

Create goals that are measurable, relevant, timely, and attainable. Base your goals on how much of an impact will have on your business. Instead of achieving more likes and comments on your social media profiles, think of acquiring more customers or raising your conversion rates.

Because, of course, increasing your conversion rate is much more important than any like or comment.

Are you researching your competition? If not, then it’s time to start. Take a peek at what your competitors are doing on social media. Performing a competitive analysis will help you to learn about what works well for your industry. Remember not to copy their strategy, but instead, gain a clear insight as to what works and what doesn’t. That way, you can create a strategy that works best for your company.

Find Your Inspiration

Once you’ve performed your competitive analysis, you should take inspiration from the success of other businesses in your industry. Take a look at the business section of social networks and discover useful case studies.

Find something that inspires you. Maybe it’s a design, a color scheme, pattern, or textures piece of artwork. Whatever the case may be, make sure that your website is one that you can be proud of. Promote your products and services in a way that resonates with your targeted audience.

Decide On Your Platforms

Approximately 84% of millennials use Facebook. Make sure that you’re using your social media profiles as an advantage for your business. Conduct some research to help you find out how your specific audience spends their time.

Facebook is an excellent social media outlet. But remember, there are other options that you can use to effectively promote your small business. Snapchat, Twitter, and LinkedIn are also wonderful tools used to meet your business goals.

Utilize your hashtags and catchy post content. If you’re not much of a writer, then hire a professional! Content marketing is a tricky art and science. But, when you hire the right people, then you receive the best content that incorporates high ranking keywords.

Understand Your Audience

In order to micro target your audience, you must get to know them first. You can begin by compiling some important data on your current customers. Gather this information so that you can get a clear picture of who is purchasing from you online. Once you know your audience, it’s easier to sell to them.

Now, there are social media analytics features on your social media profiles to help you track and manage your social media ads performances. Utilize the insight gained from your analyses to drive new concepts.

Expand Your Audience

Once you’ve gotten a clear picture of your audience, it’s time to expand it. Revisit your social media plan and make the necessary changes to expand your audience. This could mean expanding beyond your target audience, or dividing your social media marketing efforts to other platforms.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are all highly visited social media platforms. You should consider having an account with all of these platforms to grow your market and expand your reach.

Be Visual

Most people have come to expect visual components in social media posts. The images that you share on your social media profile are what drives real-world action. Images have a powerful influence on a buyer’s decision making process.

A picture truly does say a thousand words. Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest are visual-first networks, in particular. And, remember not to over-do it with stock images. People identify more with something that they can relate to. And, this includes having real, authentic pictures of your business.

Take a picture of your office, an employee group selfie, loyal customers, and of the business itself. Feel free to get creative with this! The simplest things that you can do to get more attention is to post an image.

In Conclusion

So, this still begs the million-dollar question – do I need social media marketing for my small business? Well, to stay relevant, you need to be with the times. Nowadays, everybody is online. Just because you own a small business, it doesn’t mean that you have to think small.

Make sure that you make your social media presence a priority. Being relevant on social media will help you to grow your business in many ways. It will also significantly help you to rank well on search engines. It’s hardly a secret how much Google favors social media profiles. So get with the times and get on social media!