By now, you’re probably already aware that a solid social media presence is essential to doing business online these days. Large companies often have a full-time social media manager or even an entire social media marketing team. But what are small businesses supposed to do to keep up?
That’s where we come in! With these easy-to-implement social media tips explicitly curated for small businesses in the promo industry, you’ll be on your way to social media success.
Plan Ahead
The key to an excellent social media marketing plan is just that: a plan. Posting all willy-nilly might be easier, but your social media accounts will serve your business better when you approach posting with a plan. However, your plan doesn’t have to be complicated! It can be as simple as a weekly calendar where you jot down what you want to post each week, so long as you’re able to clearly visualize what needs to be published, where, and when.
Go Live
Social media is all about connecting with your audience, and there’s no more authentic way to do that on social than “going live.” Going live means starting a live video session on the social media platform of your choice (the main ones for live videos are TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram). When you go live, your customers and online followers can ask questions and interact with you in real-time, creating an instant authentic connection.
When you want to go live, make sure to let your followers know ahead of time! Posting an announcement ahead of time allows your followers to carve out time to attend. You can even post a question box before going live to let your customers submit questions for you to answer in your session! Lastly, make sure to outline what you want to talk about in your live session so you don’t get flustered and forget.
Stay On Brand
If you’ve been on Instagram for a while, you’re probably familiar with how brands will often carefully curate their aesthetic, so every post is as “on brand” as possible. While that level of brand precision isn’t necessary for smaller businesses that might not have the time and manpower, keeping all your posts on brand is an easy way to make your social media presence cohesive across all platforms.
When you make your social media plan, think about your brand colors and how you can create or find images that fit your color scheme. If you use a social media design program like Canva, you can even pre-load your brand standards, so the right colors and fonts are always at your fingertips. When you write captions, be cognizant of your messaging to ensure that it aligns with your company’s mission and values. Keeping your branding consistent across all your social media accounts might take a little extra thought, but it pays off by building and reinforcing your brand recognition.
Engage, Engage, Engage
In social media, engagement is the name of the game. Social media managers everywhere are always trying to develop new ways to increase follower engagement, but the easiest solution is to simply engage with your audience. Don’t wait for your followers to engage with you – go to them! Ask questions in your captions, post polls and interactive stickers like questions, quizzes, and more on your stories, and share posts that you’re tagged in. Whenever someone comments on your posts, make sure to respond! Starting conversations and engaging with your audience is essential to creating a connection with your customers.
Keep it Simple!
Unless you’re a blogger or are already known for long-winded captions and posts, it’s always a good idea to try and keep your posts concise. Your followers are scrolling through dozens (or, depending on how many people they follow, hundreds) of posts at a time, so it’s crucial that whatever you write is eye-catching and easy to digest. Your posts are supposed to help drive traffic to your website, so instead of typing out lots of info, try a short, exciting caption that entices the reader to click through and read more.
Showcasing your business and brand on social media doesn’t have to be hard! With these tips in your back pocket, you’re ready to get out there and start creating a coherent presence online. Check out our blogs on creative ways to use social media and boosting product launches on Instagram.
Need help coming up with ideas to post on social? Check out our webpage full of free, downloadable social media shareables perfect for your feed.
Great post. Thank you so much for sharing these amazing social media tips with us. These are very useful, and I will surely apply them to my social media. keep sharing more