In this growing digital world, the customers are becoming tech-savvy so that they can discover and take advantages of new technologies. A lot of people have resolved tricky buying decisions by quickly searching the internet for unfamiliar companies or products. A lack of web presence or a desultory one, on the other hand, often make us opt out of a potential purchase.
Even in the B2B segment, Business Network International reports that 75% of business owners are put off engaging with a small business because of its lack of social media presence. Social media is not just a necessity; it is also a great tool for startups and SMEs that helps grow their business and engage with customers. It is thus incredibly important for you to use social media effectively by pursuing a comprehensive strategy for the channel. So we have rounded some social media strategies that will help your business grow in the market.
Here are some tips to get you started and help you design your social media strategies –
Choosing the Right Social Network
There is no shortage of different social networks, each with their own USPs, tone, and audience. If you are likely to generate and share a lot of images or videos, use Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. They are the perfect media to share pictures of happy customers or videos of your products in action. Facebook and Twitter are incredibly powerful platforms for engaging with prospects online and are also useful channels to get feedback and answer queries. LinkedIn is a great networking tool for finding partners and finding new employees. Find the right tone and purpose for each social network, and use the relevant ones to make your presence known. Sharing useful links in the right communities on these platforms can drive massive traffic to your blog and website, or to your product page.
Build a Community – The Business Will Follow
Users of social media would find their eyes predictably glazing over when faced with promotional posts made by companies. No one goes to social media to buy products or read marketing material – they are there to interact with friends and peers, to engage in interesting content, and have entertaining experiences. The beauty of social media strategies is the feeling of belonging and community that it can engender in people. For example, Kelly Lester -a stay-at-home mom who turned into a million-dollar business owner – transformed her life by sharing easy and quick lunch ideas for mothers on social media. Her reader community grew, turned into customers, and the sales she received catapulted her business – Easylunchboxes – into the big league.
Create a Social Media Calendar
Being consistent and reliable on social media is, as previously indicated, essential. But we all know that there are moments of lackluster creativity – so how do companies ordinarily do it? The secret is planning in advance; the best social media teams meticulously plan ahead for weeks and months. They create comprehensive calendars and post accordingly. They develop relevant hashtags for each day of the week and use them consistently to gain traction through repetition. Depending on your business, create weekly content buckets and set up clear rules and prompts. Decide how many times a day and at what time to post based on prior engagement numbers, and leave prompts or fully formed posts for easy usage in the future.
Enhance via Paid Marketing
For substantially lower costs than other conventional marketing channels (like print and TV), social media networks allow you incredible flexibility and reach. Users can be targeted based on their demography, online behavior, stated interests, device, and any number of other factors. You can create multiple ads for different groups, adjusting how you state your value proposition to make it more compelling for the specific audience you are reaching out to. The tools provided for paid marketers on social media platforms are comprehensive and powerful and can help you understand how to improve your outreach over time.
Last Words
The biggest challenge for SMEs and startups competing with larger players in the market is dealing with the relative lack of reach. Having a strong social media presence serves the purpose of letting customers know that you care deeply about how you are perceived, and therefore will go the distance to earn their trust. So get out onto social media, build a quirky but dependable profile, and invest into the future of your business by becoming an engaging and interesting part of your potential customer’s social media experience. Do share if you have some more social media strategies to share with us.