From the moment that you launched your business, people have probably been telling you that you need to have a ‘social media presence. It’s true. Social Media is a great way of getting your business message across to a huge amount of people in a short time and, at a relatively low expense – if you’re doing it properly.
Unfortunately, many businesses tend to treat their Social Media as an after-thought; posting sporadically and, rarely engaging with followers. This is not only ineffective but, can actually be harmful to your business. The following is our guide to mastering Social Media for your business (without having to become an expert).
Right train, wrong platform?
Before setting foot on Social Media, you need to research the best platform for your business. Some brands find that a serious business platform such as LinkedIn is where their audience is lurking but, for others, Facebook is the way forward. Although you can put yourself out there on as many platforms as you like, it’s usually best to stock with one – at least to start with as this allows you to focus your attention properly rather than spreading yourself too thin. Take a look at the various platforms available to see which ones your competitors are using – and how successful it is for them.
Be consistent
So, you posted to your Facebook page on Monday and Tuesday with some great offers – it’s now Friday and you’ve been too busy to post again. It doesn’t matter if you post once a day or once a week………as long as you’re consistent. Without regular and consistent posts, your followers will soon lose interest and look elsewhere.
Content, content, content
A minute ago, when we talked about posting, we didn’t mean that you should constantly be posting shouty adverty type stuff on your page – you know better, right? In order to attract – and keep – followers, you need to be posting strong content which is actually of interest to your followers. This can be a link to a blog on your website or an interesting article which is relevant to your brand and your followers. Popular banner company, Ultimate Banners, suggests ‘top and tailing’ content – i.e, posting at the beginning and the end of the week for maximum effect.
And… engage!
So, there you are, happily posting away and, your followers are commenting on your posts and……. you’re doing what, exactly? Seriously, there is absolutely no point in having Social Media if you’re not going to engage with people on the page. At least once a day, check the page for comments and reply to them – even if it’s just to thank the person for taking the time to comment. If you have Messenger set up, make sure that you have notifications on so that you don’t miss any messages. There’s nothing more frustrating than messaging a brand and waiting hours for a response and, ignoring messages can quickly lead to reputation issues.
Make sure that you regularly post content which invites engagement from your followers such as surveys, debates and competitions – there’s a reason that they call it ‘Social’ Media.
Cats… Resist
There may be times when you feel stuck for something to post about. Whatever you do, resist the urge to share that ‘hilarious’ meme you saw or, an adorable video of a cat. Always remember that this is a business page and that content should always be relevant and professional.
Use Paid Ads Sparingly
The jury’s still out on paid advertising on Social Media. If you do decide to go down this route, keep messaging short and sweet with a great image – and make sure you do your A/B testing!
Reach out
While you’re busy gathering your flock, don’t forget to follow non-competitors within your industry. Social Media is all about building up a network and, you never know when those contacts might come in handy!
Although this may seem like a lot, in reality, you shouldn’t have to spend a great deal of time on your Social Media. Put aside some time once a week to put together your content and write your posts. You can even schedule your posts to go out during the week to save you time. With just a little bit of time and effort, you can get your Social Media working for you by encouraging your followers to like and share your content.