According to a recent Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet, 72% of U.S adults use at least one social media site. What are you doing to connect your business with existing or potential customers on social media?
Whether you’re starting a new business or revamping your marketing plan strategy, including social media is a must. Here are five things you can do to get started.
#1 Develop your strategy
Make a list of goals or use your existing marketing plan goals. Have a statement that succinctly says we are company x, this is what we do, and our goal is to use social media to “insert reason here” (i.e., interact with customers/raise brand awareness/protect brand reputation/gain customers, etc.). Your business can have more than one reason for using social media. Having this statement will give everyone involved a clear vision of the overall goal.
#2 Establish your social media presence on just one platform
If you don’t already have a social media account you will need to set one up. Pick one platform and do it well. With some quick research, you can find which platform your target customer or audience is using. Look up what your competition is doing and how much interaction and how many followers they have. Alternatively, Facebook is currently the most common used platform by people aged 30 and over. It could be a way to get your feet wet without a lot of research.
#3 Use existing content to start posting
If you already have a company website, then you have content to start posting. Testimonials, past projects, upcoming events are all things you can be sharing on your social media. If you do not have a website, pull out any past promotions, flyers or advertisements that you can use. Take the content from those items to generate a post. Look ahead to upcoming promotions and start generating excitement. Be sure to include a link to your social media site on your website and include your website URL on your social media platform.
#4 Like or follow other local businesses
Businesses support businesses, even more so if you’re a small business in a neighborhood where you know other business owners. Like or follow their accounts on the same social media platform that you’re using. Also connect and follow/like the local chamber of commerce or tourism bureau in your area. These will be great resources, and they can help amplify your post when they share it with their audience.
#5 Create a social media calendar
Once you have a feel for the platform you’re using, create a calendar that plans out how often you will post and what sort of post it will be. This helps to keep messaging on brand and on topic for what is current with your business. Be sure each post has a purpose and that you’re not just posting to be posting. Use the 80/20 rule: 80% of your posts should be engagement with your audience and only 20% should be self-promotion. Be sure to check back for any comments that may need a response.
Creating compelling, relevant content that connects your business with existing customers, while driving new customers in the door is incredibly important, but it’s time-consuming work. We are here to help!
GLM Custom delivers social media packages custom tailored to fit the needs and meet the goals of our clients. Ask us to build a strategy and management plan that’s perfect for your business!
Visit us at www.glminc.com.