Does Your Business 👍 Social Media?

Like it or not, social media has become a big part of our daily lives…well, for most everyone. Many folks use a social network to reconnect with old friends and stay in touch with family we don’t see every day. We share milestone events and everyday occurrences; trips around the block and to exotic places; questions we’ve pondered and answers we’ve discovered.

And, social media is also used to promote our businesses. In fact, 97 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on social media. Additionally, almost a third of social media users admit to using the platforms to research new products to buy!

Whether you ❤️ or 😡 social media, this type of marketing can do wonders for any company, regardless of industry type. The trick is finding the right platform, attracting followers and keeping them engaged.

So many social choices…

There’s no magic formula when it comes to the best social media platform for your business. While a lot depends on the type of business you have, that doesn’t mean you should only be on one platform. LinkedIn tends to be more effective for B2B and professional service businesses, while Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can be better solutions for consumer-centric companies.

Alex Germain, Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Direction highly encourages having a profile on the majority of the largest social media platforms, “as more content stemming from your company will actually assist with SEO performance.”

Forbes suggests that if you are a small business owner wanting to take the social media world by storm, make sure you’re active on at least these five platforms:

1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. Twitter
4. YouTube
5. LinkedIn

Get their attention with quality content

Can social media increase brand awareness? “Absolutely,” states Alex, “provided you’re posting the right content.”

“Social media can help your brand establish its personality and voice when interacting with people,” explains Alex. “Providing high-quality and engaging content can establish your brand/company as a thought-leader for that topic, gaining more credibility among your audience.”

According to a recent article in Business News Daily, “Social media provides targeting capability, as well as reach and scale, at a lower cost than almost all other marketing channels. People are on social media all day, every day – brands must go where the people are.”

When creating content, start with the ‘why’ of your business. Use the ‘why’ to develop how you’re going to do something as a company, then what the action will be. Brainstorm with team members not only on the sole area your business operates in, but also related sub-topics that are relevant to the area you are trying to serve.

Some post ideas include:

• A link to your company blog on social media platforms
• Highlights of your company culture
• Industry news
• Content of other businesses in your niche
• Asking a question
• Product videos – research shows that videos have a 135% greater organic reach compared to photos
• Customer testimonials
• Event promotions and/or photos from company events

When formatting, create a defined system to be able to keep track of all your content for social media. Alex suggests implementing a social media “calendar” of posts for the following month so that you’re not scrambling around for ideas at the last minute.

Why your business should get social

Social media provides the easiest access to direct communication between you and your customers. “Compared to other forms of direct marketing social media has virtually no barriers outside of hitting a single button,” explains Alex. “A responsive brand on social media is able to better communicate, understand and resolve a customer’s needs, resulting in deeper, long-term connections.”

Social media is a multi-prong tool in your company’s marketing plan. It serves as a direct communication method and form of reputation management with end users and helps your website perform better in SEO results. And with social media platforms continually being flooded with content, content that breaks out of the norm can help establish your company as a resource, not just a place of business, for consumers and partners in your industry.

If you’re not taking advantage of social within your digital marketing strategy, you’re missing out on a fast, inexpensive and effective way to reach almost half the world’s population. “Social media for business is no longer optional,” states Hootsuite writers Stacey McLachlan and Christina Newberry. “It’s an essential way to reach your customers, gain valuable insights, and grow your brand.”

To help you navigate the ever-changing social media landscape, Entrepreneur suggests enlisting the services of a social media expert who can offer insight into content planning, competitor tracking and sharing curated links. These professionals can provide you with valuable resources to expand your social media following and broaden your online presence.

Reach more customers, achieve greater brand awareness and grow your business with a carefully developed and implemented social strategy from a fractional digital marketing specialist at Marketing Direction.