Social media isn’t just for international brands or internet-based companies. Effective social media marketing for small business—even in a local service industry—will become a lasting source of regular leads and help you stand out from your competitors.
But managing your social accounts can also be a hassle. We’ve put together this guide to show you why it’s worth it and offer some advice on how to make the job a little easier and a lot more effective.
Benefits of Social Media For Small Businesses
Here are three reasons why every small business should be taking their social media marketing more seriously.
It’s Easy To Outpace Your Competition
According to Small Business Trends, just over half of small businesses post to their social media accounts daily. And on social media, consistent content creation is the one of the keys to breaking through the algorithm and actually landing in front of your customers.
If you’re a glass-half-full kind of person, then you can see that if you can get yourself to the point of posting at least once a day you will be outperforming almost 50% of your competitors. In a small, local area, that can make a huge difference when it comes to branding yourself as an industry leader.
You Will Get To Know Your Customers Better
Social media is all about user-interaction. By regularly sharing posts, replying to your audience, and encouraging them to create content (more on that later), you will get intimate knowledge of your customer base.
And you probably already realize that sales is so much more about knowing your customer than knowing your product. In other words, effective social media marketing for small business will grow every aspect of your marketing .
Social Media Is Another Source of Leads
Of course, the end goal of marketing in general is to generate more leads. And social media is no exception. Because it has a lower barrier to entry than making a phone call or sending an email, your social platforms provide an easy way for otherwise hesitant customers to contact you.
5 Tips For Effective Social Media Marketing For Small Business
You can find success on social media. While regular content is always an integral strategy, here are five other tips to keep in mind.
#1 Invest in Paid Social Media Ads
Growing an organic following can take time. Months or years, even. That’s why many small business owners will invest in paid ads right alongside their organic social media campaigns. Paid ads can help you generate leads NOW while also helping you to build up a following at the same time.
Ads can be tricky, though. So don’t expect spectacular results immediately. If you are going to be managing your ad campaigns yourself, be prepared to experiment with audiences, ad copy, images, and more. And don’t fret if your early campaigns aren’t profitable. As you test more and more variables, you will narrow in on exactly what ads appeal to what audiences.
#2 Get Your Audience To Create Content For You
We said earlier that social media is all about your users. It gives them a place to share their opinions and have a voice. And you can capitalize on that by inviting your followers to generate content for you.
For example, maybe you run a landscaping company. You could ask users to share pictures of their overgrown lawns. Promise free service to the most-overgrown and you’ll get even more engagement.
#3 Build Relationships with Local Influencers
When you think of influencer marketing, you might get a little bit intimidated. How are you supposed to earn or afford a mention from someone who has millions of followers?
But small, local businesses can target a much narrower pool. You aren’t trying to be the most popular HVAC company in the world. Just the most popular in your region.
So consider finding people in your local area who have a following. Radio DJs, local celebrities, and even other business owners could all fit the bill.
Maybe you offer a free HVAC system upgrade for a popular local gym. In exchange, you ask the owner to share the news with their following. Their credibility with the local community builds up yours and attracts more attention to the services you offer.
#4 Share Pictures of Your Handiwork
It can be hard to come up with regular ideas for content to share. So in addition to influencer marketing and encouraging user-generated content, your own services provide an endless source of content.
Take quality pictures of every new roof installation, bathroom remodel, flower arrangement, or landscaping project. Whatever it is that you do to change your customers’ lives for the better, capture visual evidence and share it on your social media accounts.
Of course, always get your customers’ permission first and take care of any other legal necessities. But showing off your handiwork is the perfect way to fill up your social posting calendar with content that is going to attract attention from your target customers.
#5 Outsource Some (or ALL) of Your Social Media Marketing
As you can tell, effective social media marketing for small business is no small task. Some business owners will hire a digital marketing agency to handle every aspect of their campaigns. Others prefer to outsource bits and pieces of the campaign to quality freelancers. This allows you to maintain a little more control over each phase of the project.
If you are looking to higher top rate freelance talent, Legiit offers a secure marketplace to do so. You can browse freelancers by the services they offer, read reviews from past customers, and buy with confidence knowing that you only pay if they deliver what they promised.
Here are a few curated services related to social media marketing you may want to check out:
Facebook Ads Management and Setup
Transform Blog Post into Video (a great way to “double dip” your content)
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