Having a strong social media presence today can significantly impact the growth of your small business. No matter which platform you choose to use, you can easily allow your customers to find and connect with you online. Regularly posting and interacting with them helps build a connection and increase loyalty. Here are five ways you can grow your small business through social media.
1. Optimize all your profiles
As a small business—especially a small, local business—obscurity is your greatest obstacle. On whichever platforms you choose to set up a profile, make sure all your information is correct:
- Your full business name
- Your phone number
- Your website
- Your location
The final point is particularly crucial because it will help your business appear in local results. Even if you don’t have a website or a Google My Business listing, your social media profile can show up in a Google search. For example, our query for “best food in [small town near our business]” brings up the Facebook page for a local restaurant, including its overall rating, its address, and a review specifically detailing the restaurant’s delicious food.
Tip: Check even social media sites where you do not have a profile or do not plan to have a profile. A few of these will auto-generate a page with information about your business, and it may be wrong!
2. Educate people about your business
By nature, social media users are browsers and story-seekers. When they’re not specifically seeking out a product or service, they’re still likely to stumble upon your page or find you through another user’s link or comment.
When they do, it’s imperative your anti-elevator pitch is up and running. You want visitors to be intrigued and to have a clear understanding of who you are, but this is the time to start a relationship—not to give them a sales pitch.
On every profile, make sure you have a bio to explain who you are, what you do, and where your values lie. Whenever you can, promote your connection to the community and the people who work for you.
At Art Unlimited, we would explain the basics of how we do digital marketing and website design, and then how we are, “where growing businesses find innovative solutions to bring their marketing to Life while empowering them to reach their goals.”
3. Connect in real-time
Another excellent practice to promote your small business on social media is by making it a place where you’re highly accessible. More and more, users are drawn to connect with businesses the same way they talk to friends and family: instant messages. If Twitter is your main channel, this could be substituted for customer feedback tweets.
People can and will send you completely irrelevant questions and comments. That’s okay! The important thing is you’re standing by, ready to answer. As a reliable message-responder, you’re promoting your business as dependably responsive and caring.
4. Partner with other businesses
In social media marketing, sharing is the name of the game. When you’re just starting out or looking to grow your business on social media, one of the best ways to gain some valuable attention from potential customers is to partner with a complementary business.
Two of our clients are a local tourism bureau and a local recreational trail. They’ve partnered with one another and with other businesses to create giveaways and promotions which benefit both of them. If you’re just getting into ads and have a low budget, this can be a great way to buddy up for better reach and clicks by combining your ads.
5. Become a reliable source
A small, local credit union near to Art Unlimited has a fantastic social media presence and a large fan following. How? They keep up on the issue which deeply matters to their customers: fraud.
When the police department releases news of bad checks or counterfeit money circulating in their region, the credit union shares it. They offer advice and their contact details in a friendly, non-pushy way. They don’t use fear tactics; they simply offer help.
Similarly, if a bank or credit card scam starts up, they’re the first to remind their followers to pay careful attention to what the “bank” asks them for over the phone.
In other industries, such as roofing, a contractor could take it upon themselves to let their followers know about bad weather coming to the area.
When it comes to social media, it doesn’t have to be complicated: it only needs to be reliable, helpful, and relevant. Throw in a little entertainment, and your small business will be ready to soar in social media marketing! Connect with us today for help with your social media.