Reaching new audiences for your business can be difficult. For small businesses with limited resources, it can be even more difficult, especially since 47% of small business owners say that they do their marketing on their own along with all the other responsibilities that come with owning a small business.
Fortunately, social media has transformed how people view small businesses and how small businesses can market themselves. In fact, 96% of small businesses report using social media in their marketing strategies. If your small business isn’t included in this 96%, it should be! Here are a few tips and tricks to help you with marketing your small business on social media.
Stay True to Your Brand
Having a strong brand identity is important for any business, but it is especially important for small businesses with niche audiences trying to stand out from the sea of other small businesses. Keep your brand identity in mind as you form your social media strategy.
Do not force your brand’s presence onto platforms that do not make sense for it. Instead, pick and choose which platforms work best for your brand and its audience. For example, if your business is intended for younger audiences, utilize platforms targeted toward this audience such as TikTok.
Brand identity is also important when it comes to creating content for your brand, whether that be through videos, images, or text. Hopping from trend to trend instead of creating authentic content will come off as disingenuous and lazy, especially for a small business.
However, that doesn't mean creating content for your business needs to be tedious and difficult. Just let your brand be itself. Show your audience how your products are made. Introduce them to the smiling faces behind the products.
Bring them along for a day in your life as a small business owner. Tell them the story behind each product. Just do what feels natural for your brand and for you!
Don’t Sacrifice Your Time
As a small business owner, you already have enough to worry about. Don’t stress yourself out over creating content every single day- instead, set aside one day a week where you film, shoot, and draft most of your content for the week so that you can put the rest of your time and energy into the other areas of your business. That way, all you have to do is remember to hit the post button every day!
Make an Audience of Friends
Many people who shop from small businesses do so because they like the authenticity and care that goes into the business. Show these people that you care by engaging with them not just in person, but on social media! Here are some of the many ways you can do this-
Do live video broadcasts on TikTok, Instagram, and/or Facebook.
Post images and videos of customers engaging with your product.
Keep your audience updated on upcoming sales and special events.
Respond to comments, even just by leaving an emoji or two.
Listen to feedback from your audience and respond to negative reviews professionally and appropriately.
Create polls and give your audience the chance to ask questions.
Had a really great day of sales? Post a thank you message to your audience and let them know how much their support means to you.
Your small business does not need to be just a small business- you can make it into a safe space for your audience where they feel like they know and trust you!
Ready to make social media marketing work for your brand? If not, check out these articles for more information!