Grow and scale your small business with our tips for improving your marketing strategy.
If you’re struggling to get the attraction, interaction and of course ‘results’ you need to promote your small business – there are many things you can do to improve your marketing.
We’re all aware of social media, most people have a Facebook personal account, if not Facebook, then one of the other channels – depending on your age!
But social media can be a great tool for small businesses to promote their brands, products and services too – it’s not just for personal use, utilise what’s out there for the greater good.
By creating a strong social media presence, small businesses can reach a wider audience, attract potential customers, build relationships with existing customers, and increase brand loyalty.
Here are 6 ways you can improve your small business marketing through social media:
#1 Increase brand awareness
Social media platforms allow small businesses to reach a much larger audience than traditional marketing methods and it’s much more cost effective than other means. Starting with creating engaging content, a business can increase brand awareness 100-fold and reach out to potential new customers.
Tell your story, showcase your ideas, shout about what’s going on behind the scenes, share your expertise and knowledge, talk about past projects, highlight your values… the list is endless. But it’s all about being unique and creative. People have heard it all before but when you put your own spin on your business, it becomes authentic and new.
#2 Build customer relationships
Social media can be used to create a community around your brand and engage with customers on a personal level. By responding to comments and messages, small businesses can build strong relationships with their customers, which can lead to increased brand loyalty. Think about you feel when a brand takes an interest in you, not just for the sake of a sale, but truly values you as a customer. This is all part of a customer’s journey, and every interaction plays a part.
Why not try mapping out the customer journey, this doesn’t start from when they buy from you, it starts from way back in the thinking and processing stage (even if they don’t know it!). How can you be there in the foreground, ready to approach when they are ready to purchase?
#3 Drive website traffic
Social media can be a great way to drive traffic to your website. By sharing links to your website or blog posts on social media platforms, small businesses can attract potential customers to their site. Think about the good old days when people handed out a business card to everyone they met – yes, this still has a place, but it’s much more effective to be able to direct someone via a quick link online.
The more traffic that is diverted to your website, the better your search engine rankings become too. Engagement, link clicks and interaction all help to get your business noticed!
#4 Promote products and services
Social media platforms provide a great opportunity to showcase products and services. Through visual content, small businesses can promote their products and services in a way that is personal, relatable and engaging to all those likely to want to see or hear.
Products or services can be explained, can be talked about, can be backed up by testimonials and feedback and they become more alive when being shared on social media.
#5 Multiple social media platforms
We always advise that it’s better to the best at one platform than spread yourself too thin and be inefficient on all. However, when you can master more than one, then go for it.
Think about where your ideal customer is going to be hanging out, which channels you are likely to find them on. This is where you need to base your focus. Doesn’t matter what platforms you enjoy the most – although this does help when you have an interest in it too – but your business needs to be visible where your potential customers are.
This comes down to research, understanding your audience, and discovering the best approach for the ideal client. And when you know which platform(s) to use, what type of content is going to work on them, so you need to mix up your type of content, do you need to work with a specialist who can help you create great content, can you utilise other content and re-use?
#6 Paid advertising
Another way social media marketing can increase brand awareness is through paid advertising. This offers businesses the ability to target specific demographics based on their interests, behaviours, and other deciding factors. This can help ensure that the brand message is getting in front of the right people, increasing the chances of conversion and brand loyalty. It can be a costly experiment if you don’t know what you’re doing, so always ensure that you’re working with an experienced media buyer before jumping into this. *We can help, just message us!
In summary, social media marketing can be a highly effective tool for businesses looking to increase brand awareness and see growth. When done correctly, social media marketing should be an essential part in the funnel which creates more leads & sales, and a healthy, sustainable, and reputable business.
If you’re not getting the results you need from your marketing strategy, or you’re not sure where to even start putting together a marketing plan or strategy, we’d love to sit down and talk this through with you. Simply get in touch and start a conversation, today.
