This is a question that many small business owners ask themselves. And most of the time they conclude that it will be a useful tool for them. However, social media can become a waste of time, resources, and money if it is not used correctly.
Wait, what? There is a way to mess it up? Absolutely - there is a right and wrong way to use social media. It should complement your existing marketing strategies and your business goals.
This also means you should choose the platform that best suits your business and its needs.
There are so many platforms available but not all of them are going to suit your business.
For instance, LinkedIn is not the way to go for a retail store but would be for a professional, such as an accountant or financial planner. Likewise, Instagram is fantastic if you are a photographer but not so much if you are a mechanic.
So, what does this mean for your business?
You need to know your target market. You need to know where they hang out in terms of social media platforms and what they want to see from you.
Let us work with a photographer as an example. Instagram would be the perfect match in social media platform terms for a photographer. Why? Instagram provides the artist a way to share their images in a place that is accessible to their demographic. If anyone is looking for a photographer for their next big event, say a wedding, then they are going to look for inspiration, and examples of wedding photos they love before they enquire with a photographer. And while shiny, professional websites are great, friend networks and known associate recommendations on social media are shown to be greater influencers on the decision-making process.
Of course, that is not to say that the photographer should only focus their efforts on Instagram. It may be their biggest avenue for referrals however it is recommended to use multiple channels to reinforce your message. In this case, using a Facebook page and a professional and complete website alongside Instagram, would likely bring greater results in terms of their overall marketing strategy.
Your marketing efforts should not be done in a silo, but rather be a piece of the puzzle, working together to create one big picture of your overall strategy.
Ok, so you know about choosing a platform. But what about content? Any old thing is ok to post right? Well actually… you should think of your brand and how you want your customers to view you, before posting a picture of your breakfast or that funny quote you found while scrolling. The idea is to present a window to your operations, to give people an example of what they can expect from you and your business. In other words, do not post just for the sake of posting content.
Followers want useful and meaningful content, not just spam in their newsfeed.
What this means, is working out the balance between sharing everything or using your knowledge and material strategically to get the best results for your business. Which then leads us to our next point…
One piece of content can and should be used on multiple channels and in different ways. For example, this blog will not only be on our website but will be shared via social media, and in our e-newsletter. This ensures your carefully written or designed article/piece reaches as many potential clients as possible, and your message is reinforced in several channels.
We would also like to point out the importance of understanding the longevity of your content.
Argh… not more marketing jargon, right?! What we mean here is, can your content be re-used or is it seasonal and only good for one time round the net. So, can the content that you share today be reused in 3 months, 6 months or even 12? We do not always need to reinvent the wheel and can be savvy in the way we use and reuse our content. Make your life easier and keep your costs low while ensuring quality content well into the future. Oops... better not give away too many of our secrets!
The other important thing to note about social media is that your followers will generally follow you on multiple platforms. So, you can see why being strategic about when and where you place your content is a good idea! If, for example, you post on Instagram and do an instant share to Facebook, people may unfollow you as the content is repetitive and boring for them. Furthermore, the content you place on Instagram may not be suitable for Facebook and vice versa. The perfect example of this is hashtags! Sometimes, less is definitely more.
So, does your business need social media? Most definitely! Do you know the best way to use it, or need a little guidance when it comes to scheduling tools? Join us next month for our follow-up blog or get some help with those marketing to-dos that just are not getting ticked off the list.
