Social media is a powerful marketing tool for any business looking to reach its target audience. However, for some small business owners, it might feel like the marketing world is run by statistics, algorithms, and algorithms. Instead of spending endless time and money on marketing, many small business owners are looking to cut down on costs and focus on creating a lasting relationship with their customers.
After all, what’s the point of spending thousands of dollars on advertising if your audience never clicks through and sees your message? If your business isn’t generating sales, or your services aren’t helping your customers leave happy customers, your marketing efforts are likely to be a failure.
The key is to use social media to your advantage and use it to drive customer demand and sales rather than put pressure on your company to meet unrealistic targets. Here are some tips on how to use social media to successfully launch your business.
Build a social media presence
The best social media strategy is to have an integrated website and social media presence that provides a clear path for customers to find you. You can start with a single Facebook “like” button, or you can use a page for your product or service.
When customers are first engaging with your brand, they are more likely to click through to your site if they are looking for information on the product or service. A lot of customers aren’t going to click on a “like” button in the middle of a conversation with another customer, and might not even notice it was there in the first place.
Not only that, but your social media presence should be a direct link to your website. This allows potential customers to easily find you when they are looking for products or services related to your niche or are looking for deals or free stuff. It also helps you build a customer relationship at the same time since people will be more likely to come back to your site if they aren’t finding it through an unnatural source.
Use the power of images
A great way to drive customers to your website is to use images with your post. A picture paints a thousand words, and it’s true for business as well as social media posts. A picture tells a thousand words, and using images to promote your posts can help drive potential customers to your site.
E-books, product demonstrations and more can all be used as image posts. Try to keep your images a reasonable size so they don’t look pixelated or grainy. Make sure they are clear enough to see the image and the URL of the website or product you are promoting. When possible, include alt text or transcriptions for images so potential customers can get a better understanding of the products or services you are selling.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback
Blame it on the “I’m afraid of the opposite happening” fear, but many small business owners worry that asking for feedback on social media is a bold-faced invitation for people to call them names. While some people are more likely to give negative feedback than positive feedback, the majority of social media users are somewhere in the middle.
Here are a few questions to gauge feedback on social media:
– How would you rate the product or service from 0-10?
Be transparent with your business model
You might be worrying that people will steer away from a business that isn’t transparent about its methods. However, research shows that 61% of customers are more likely to spend money with a brand that is upfront and transparent about its methods. Customers are more likely to give a brand high marks if they know they are being helped, not just sold something.
Don’t try to be something you’re not, and definitely don’t try to be something you aren’t willing to be. Be upfront and transparent about your business model so people can decide if they want to continue dealing with you.
Be prepared to stand up for your values
Many companies shy away from talking about their values and why they exist. However, talking about your values and why you do what you do can go a long way towards establishing yourself as a trustworthy brand. Customers are more likely to choose to do business with a company that stands for something than one that doesn’t.
It doesn’t matter if you are a PPC business or a freelance photographer, talking about why you do what you do and why you offer the services you do will help you stand out from the rest. People will notice, and they will likely notice positively.
Wrapping up
Social media is a powerful marketing tool for any business looking to reach its target audience. To make the most of social media, business owners need to remember to build a social media presence with a clear path for customers to find them.
