Social media: it’s a phrase that many people are familiar with, and for many, it’s considered a way to keep in touch with friends. But did you know that social media and marketing go hand in hand for small businesses? Using social media marketing techniques can boost your online presence and get customers into your shop, restaurant, or other small business, too.
Many small business owners are unsure how to go about utilizing social media marketing campaigns to drive interest in their products. If you want to get started on social media, but you’re unsure where to begin, here are a few techniques you can start with:
Blog (and microblog)
One of the easiest ways to keep your customers informed of what’s going on in your shop is to run a blog that posts regular updates. However, not all internet users will know where that blog is. Using a larger social media platform, like Twitter, for instance, can allow you to gain followers and use “microblogging” posts of 140 characters or less to link to your blog. You can also use Twitter for announcing sales and other events.
Announce promotions
As stated above, Twitter is a great way to tell current and potential customers about what’s going on with your business. However, you can also use sites like Facebook or Google+ to do the same. Like Twitter, these sites allow users to share information with others, so if they like what you do, there’s a good chance that they’ll tell their friends and family. Social media is probably one of the fastest ways to spread word of mouth over the internet.
Post pictures
It’s one thing to tell users what’s going in your shop, but why not show them, too? Post pictures of items for sale, show your workers and shoppers in action, and entice customers with photos of your best displays. Facebook and Twitter have spaces to share photos, and sites like Pinterest and Instagram are made especially for photography. Instagram also lets users edit photos, and these can be shared across other social media platforms, too.
Use targeted ads
Social media advertising has been shown to get results for niche businesses. Think of it this way: if you’ve used a PPC campaign and advertised all over the web, you may not have attracted customers who are interested in your business. With social media advertising, however, targeted ads can appear on Facebook and other sites based on preferences that users have already established. In other words, if you sell beauty products, you’ll advertise to users who already “like” similar products on the market, rather than wasting ad space on customers who are unlikely to be interested.
Small business social media marketing can take time because you have to develop an audience and keep them interested. For some business owners, it just isn’t possible to do this on their own. If you’re interested in social media advertising, but you just don’t have the time to spend tracking follows, likes, and retweets, you could look into hiring a social media marketing agency to manage your campaigns for you. These agencies use reporting tools, so you can see your progress, too.
Have more questions about advertising on social media platforms? Leave a comment below. More can be found here: www.brandvisionmarketing.com
