Business owners know that having a strong online presence is an essential part of any marketing strategy, but a website alone doesn’t always get the job done. Social media can boost your brand and get your message out there to the right people. However, with the wide variety of social networking sites available, finding the best choice for your situation might seem overwhelming. Social media doesn’t have to be something you dread! Read on to learn more about which social networking sites could benefit your business the most
Facebook has been dominating the social media scene for well over a decade now. Millions of active users hope on the site every day to get news, talk to friends and family, and share ideas. Facebook is a great tool for raising brand awareness, directing visitors to your website, and generating leads if you know how to use it properly. Start by building a page. Fill it with accurate information in your “About section.” Use helpful keywords, post your business hours, and respond give potential customers a way to contact you if they want more information.
After your page is set up, it’s essential to post interesting and relevant content as often as you can. If you don’t have the content, don’t post! It’s better to post great content only once a week than to post boring, generic, or unhelpful content daily.
Once you get in the swing of posting great content, it’s time to advertise! Learning to leverage Facebook’s ad platform is essential. Even with only a tiny marketing budget, you can see a significant return on investment if you use Facebook advertising. You can choose your budget, and target ads at specific demographics so that you know your content is reaching the right people.
LinkedIn is a social media platform for business, so if you’re an individual looking to connect with professionals, or own a business that follows a B2B model, LinkedIn is a great tool. Use a LinkedIn profile to highlight your own professional work history and give yourself a leg up on the competition. Like Facebook, you can create a business page on LinkedIn, but it’s used primarily to build professional networks and build connections. Engaging content and status updates are key here. Posting the information that potential customers are looking for can help to paint your brand as a leader in your industry, can and educate them about the products and services you offer.
If LinkedIn and Facebook are about engaging content, Instagram is all about engaging images. Instagram is actually owned by Facebook, so the advertising element is very similar to Facebook’s, but if you don’t have a marketing budget, Instagram can be a great choice for your business. With Facebook, it can be tough to get in front of your audience without paying, but Instagram reaches followers much more organically. Memes, short videos, and niche hashtags will connect you with an audience who is interested in what you have to say.
Stunning visuals are key here though, which makes Instagram perfect for choice for businesses with a visual aspect. Artists can show off their latest piece, and real estate agents can give their followers a sneak preview into the houses that are on the market.
Dive In
If you don’t have a social media presence, you are missing out on a huge chunk of potential customers, so it’s time to get started! People are looking for fresh content that helps them, informs them, or speaks to their needs or emotions. Remember that and you’ll be on the way to building a hungry social audience.