Social media usage continues to ramp with over 5 billion users expected in 2024 according to Statista. Minutes per day of social media usage is also expected to creep higher than last year as more people flock to platforms for daily check-ins, news and staying connected with groups of interest and family. The continued adoption of social media creates more opportunities for marketing and engagement for small businesses. Some business products offered by social media brands do cost but smaller organizations can greatly benefit by using many of the no cost tools available. The caveat with social media is that it does take time to manage and cultivate a strong social media presence and creating a plan or strategy can help small businesses get the most out of what social media platforms can offer.
Getting the Message Across in Social Media
High traffic social media platforms such as Facebook and X can bring additional marketing opportunities to small businesses. Business profile pages give brands a way to communicate key information to potential customers such as:
- Hours and location for brick and mortar businesses
- Methods of contact
- External website address
- Products and services available
These pages are internally indexed inside the platform and could appear in search results within the social media site as well as general search engines. Businesses can also post original or relevant content that can also build brand exposure within the social media ecosystem. Content engagement extends to businesses liking and commenting on other content that is related to the industry. Promoting social media profiles in other aspects of the business, such as signage inside a physical store or marketing messages in brochures will build awareness and increase visits. The keys to successful marketing inside a social media platform is consistent engagement and frequent updates of business pages and profiles.
Being Social on Social Media
Time spent on social media sites continues to increase as users find more ways to integrate social media functionality into their lives. Brands that market on social media can use website and app functionality to create more ways for potential customers to contact and communicate with the business. Internal chat function controls are familiar to social media users and providing customer service through the platform’s own communication functions may increase contact and engagement from customers. Social media users may find their own ways to communicate with the business by commenting directly on articles, sending direct posts, IE: X (formerly Twitter) or sending direct messages to the business through their profile page. Small businesses that provide more outlets of communication by using social media platforms can increase engagement and access to the organization’s products and services. Brands that have a physical location can benefit from highlighting social media contacts within the business, on receipts etc. A key factor for success with social media platforms is response time and monitoring social media communications is crucial to delivering customer service through this technology.
Consistency and Effort Yield Results in Social Media
Small businesses come in varying sizes with most being run by one or two people who are usually the owners. Small business owners and managers do wear many hats and managing social media presence is another for the hat rack. Ranking higher when potential customers perform searches means being active on social media networks. Adding content and engaging customers should occur with consistency and frequency. Some things to consider when setting up social media initiatives:
- Ensure that notifications are set correctly to reduce customer response time
- Create to-do checklists for for status updates and content uploads
- Set aside defined time to scan feeds and look for relevant opportunities to post and comment
- Brand social media duties should be handled by one person that is familiar with how to use platforms
Marketing results from social media are never immediate and it takes time to build a viable presence along a particular network. Time and quality efforts are drivers for success in increasing social media presence and customer engagement.
The Bottom Line
Social media brands have been in the news frequently as of late and not for good reasons. With potential bans of certain apps and governments cracking down on other platforms, is social media an endangered species? As usage continues to grow, demand for these types of technologies will also increase and social media is, most likely, not going anywhere. Small businesses that do not have social media presence should consider using these platforms to increase marketing presence and allow customer easy access to the business. Any social media effort will require time and consistency to achieve any measure of success but ‘grinding away’ with original content and engagement can bring greater results to the business. Businesses that have a clear strategy and plan for social media are in a position for greater success and returns on the time and effort invested.