A strong social media presence is key for building a reliable brand, standing out, and gaining traction with potential customers. Did you know that a recent study showed that 43% of consumers search a brick-and-mortar business online before visiting for the first time. That’s a huge number! Which makes it crucial for small businesses, who typically don’t have the advantage of being a household name, to make sure they’re getting their social media done right.
Here are some tips that will impact your small businesses social presence.
Build Your Authority
Wouldn’t you love to be the go-to person in your industry that people follow and tell all their friends about? Of course you would! And the way to do this is to build your authority online so people see that you are someone who adds value and knows what they’re talking about.
The way people view your brand can make a huge difference in whether they decide to consume your content, trust what you’re saying, and ultimately make a purchase or use your services.
Authority is a currency. The more of it you have, the more you can cash in on opportunities for growth of all kinds.
Here are three ways you can build your authority via social channels:
Provide Value
Give people a reason to follow you and stick around by sharing content that they’ll find intriguing and helpful.
People want to find solutions to their biggest problems. And if you have the solution, you should deliver it! Remember to share content that adds value by helping to ease the most common pain points of your target audience.
Share Information From External Experts
A great idea is to supplement your social feeds by sharing information from other respected sites. It a good way to demonstrate that you are part of the greater industry and know what sources of information to trust. Industry associations are always a good source of content to share.
Showcase Any Social Proof You Have
Social proof is any kind of testimonial that you’ve received from a happy customer or client. Did someone send you an amazing DM or email raving about something you did for them? Ask for their permission to share it!
Also make sure to ask for reviews and share them on your social platforms.
Social proof validates your work and tells people that you really know your stuff. When people see that you’ve had plenty of other happy customers, they’ll be more inclined to follow you, join your list, buy from you or work with you.
Learn From Your Customers
A good starting point to learn what is important to your audience is by paying attention to what your potential customers are talking about. What questions do they have in relation to what you offer? What are their pain points? What are their thoughts about certain topics?
This is all good material for content ideas like quick Q&As on Instagram or more in-depth instructional content on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Want to know what your audience is thinking? Here’s how you can find out:
- Scroll through the comments section of your social media pages and those of other businesses and brands that are similar to yours.
- Leverage the polls feature that’s available on most platforms to ask your audience questions.
- Send out a short survey via your newsletter.
You should also frequently assess which of your previous posts have performed best. Which have more likes, comments, shares and saves? Find the patterns among them, and you’ll quickly be able to tell what’s working the best.
Give Behind The Scenes Sneak Peaks
Most consumers love learning more about how a business works and the people behind the brand. It also humanizes your business. People want to interact and know other humans.
Video, Stories, Reels, and IGTV, are a great medium for behind-the-scenes content. And remember, they don’t have to be highly produced to grab someone’s attention. Let your smart phone do all the work.
Some things you could share:
- A day-in-the-life of yourself or an employee
- Tours of your workspace
- Community support you are providing
- Steps of the manufacturing process of your product
- A happy customer using your product
Don’t Try To Do It Yourself
As a small business owner you have a lot of roles on your plate. A strong social media presence requires consistent content creation, which can take a lot of time. Your time is limited, so delegate social media work to someone in your company, or engage an outside expert. Then add the cost of your social media strategy to your budget.
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