Building your business on social media
Social media can be an effective and efficient way for your business to reach current and prospective customers. Here are tips to help fast track your brand's social media presence and achieve results.
1. Start small
Set yourself up for success by starting with a manageable load of just one or two social media accounts. It's a good idea to get into the habit of posting regularly, with comments, updates, images or events - perhaps dedicate about half an hour a day to maintaining your social presence. You could do this in one or two different slots and aim to post during peak traffic times; this will depend on your audience.
2. Define your customers
Social media is all about connecting with your target audience, so it's important to define who your current and prospective customers are. Outline their character profiles by age, gender, interests and profession, then expand on this by determining key concerns that you can help address. Do this for each profile and decide on the key marketing messages you want to communicate to that audience.
3. Which network?
Each social media platform has a primary audience, so find out which one your target market prefers. This ensures your messages are on the most effective platform for engagement and results. If your social posts are linking through to your website, you should be able to monitor which channel is providing the most traffic via your website analytics platform, for example Google Analytics.
4. What information?
Your aim is to help your audience, so give them a tip they can use or share information that helps them solve a problem. When you post relevant information, your audience will view you as an expert, making them more likely to seek out your products and services. Create an editorial calendar to plan and keep track of your content.
5. Listen and respond
One of the main advantages social media has over other marketing channels is the ability to communicate back and forth with customers. Social listening helps you monitor what people are saying about your business. Respond to comments and mentions on your social media pages and feedback promptly, even if they're negative. This will encourage more comments and allows you to build relationships with potential customers.
6. Build your audience
Join social media groups and communities to target specific demographics. Start and participate in conversations by asking questions and commenting on posts made by others. Personalise your business by welcoming new followers and thanking them for sharing your content or by offering a compliment. Engaging with followers can help you build their trust and loyalty.
7. Track results
Track your results by using tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook and Shopify, that will show you daily insights into your business performance. It helps you save time and make informed business decisions on the go.
8. Stay in front
Social media is constantly evolving, with new platforms and features every week. Regularly re-evaluate your goals and experiment with new types of content on different networks. Every few months, step back and consider the big picture. Make adjustments for anything that is not working and try to recreate the things that are.
9. Positives and pitfalls
Like any marketing strategy, social media should be carefully planned and well executed to avoid undoing all your time and effort. Pitfalls to watch out for include unfinished profiles, irregular posting, too much automated content, over-promotion and inconsistent messages. If something isn't working, ask yourself why - it may not be right for your audience, or there may be smarter ways of doing it. Mistakes are inevitable in any learning process, but research can help you avoid the ones made by others before you.
10. Keep an eye on the competition
Take some time to see how your competitors' are using their social media accounts. It'll help you know what you're up against. You can even see how they’re using advertising with Facebook, underneath the "Info and Ads" tab on any Facebook business page. Seeing the type of content and promotions that they share can give you marketing ideas, find your point of difference and communicate it.
Keep reading
What's next for your business?
Small business banking
Every business is different and has unique banking needs, discover your options.
This page is intended to provide general information of an educational nature only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and should not be relied on. This information has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. We recommend you seek independent professional advice before acting on this information.
