Thanks to social media, small businesses today enjoy the advantage of having a direct line of communication to their customers. But are small businesses taking social media seriously? A recent study by clutch revealed that 53% of small businesses are using social media, 45% are working on SEO and only 25% use online advertising.

In a world where social media can impact sales and show you a tangible return on investment, our question, is WHY aren’t more companies taking the time to invest in this cultural phenomenon?

The advancement of social media has done wonders for brands.  They are able to gauge their clients’ sentiments.  Improve products based on consistent customer feedback.  And, create a relationship with individuals who are interested in their brand.   The opportunities are endless as we’ve seen both small and large brands alike, hone in on creating a strong social media presence to connect and engage with their customers.   For some businesses the goal is to sell more product, for others it is to engage with their clients.  But you have to set a realistic expectation and an accompanying strategy to make sure that you are using your social platforms correctly.  

Below are our four tips on how to get started with making social media for your small business a success.

Set Goals

Using social media without a goal (and a plan we might add) is a waste of time.  Make sure that you have tangible goals for your social media platforms so that you can manage expectations.  The goal of social media is not JUST to increase revenue.   Every business is different.  Figure out what the purpose of social media for your brand will be, set those goals and then move forward.

Do Your Research (Choose the proper social media platforms)

You don’t need to be on every single social media platform. There is no way, unless you have an army of a marketing team  that you can effectively manage all social media platforms for your brand.  Choose a few that fit your brand and focus on those.

Plan

From building a strategy to creating a content calendar, planning is essential to your social media success. We know small businesses are often times understaffed.  If you don’t have the man power, try to plan out your content calendar for the month.   Create a rhythm and automate your posts to see what works for you and your fans.

Interact

Make sure you are interacting with your fans.  Like we said above, take the time to automate your posts and get into a rhythm.  But, don’t just dump and dash.  Create reminders so that you can check on your automated posts, see how people are responding and generate dialogue with them.

Every small business owner should take the time to understand what social media can do for their company. From reaching a broader audience to increasing sales, the possibilities of small business growth are endless.  Don’t get left behind because you aren’t taking the time to correctly position your brand in the social sphere! Take control of your social media or hire someone to do it for you!

Fore more information on The Burnette Agency, email us at info@theburnetteagency.com