Hanover’s Perspective
Five Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
Where do I start? Which networks are best for my business? What do I post? How many times should I post? How do I know if it is working?
Everyone has to start somewhere, right? Whether you’re a fledgling startup or a small business new to the social media game, there is one thing you already know: Starting small is okay.
Social media is time-consuming, but it can be an effective marketing strategy for your business. It will help increase your website search rankings, give your brand more exposure, and allow your customers to easily refer others to your business. Getting started can be as simple as five easy steps.
1. Pick your platform.
Let’s face it, you can’t be everywhere at once. Each social network is a community with differing wants and ways of communicating. Depending on your business type and objectives, you can leverage different platforms to suit your needs. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are arguably the biggest players, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are a good match for you. For example, Pinterest and Instagram are great platforms for retail clothing businesses, while LinkedIn may be a waste of time for such businesses.
2. Choose a consistent brand.
Every social network requires a name or “handle.” Make sure your social name is consistent across all channels, and make sure it’s available on all networks before you get started. Eventually, you want fans to mention you on Facebook and tag you on Instagram. They can’t do that if they can’t remember your name.
3. Engage your audience.
Think of social media as a means of starting a conversation. Post interesting content customized to your individual networks. The fast, real-time nature of Twitter makes it great place to share tips and engage in Q&A’s. Product solutions, service case studies and job opportunities perform better on LinkedIn. For Facebook, photos and videos will generate attention.
4. Manage your platforms efficiently.
Early in the game, you need to select a social media management platform like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to efficiently operate your accounts. A platform will allow you to coordinate all of your social accounts from one screen, schedule posts, assign tasks to your employees, and view your analytics.
5. Measure your results.
You need to find out if you’re using your social time wisely. The general rule is that it takes three months for your social media strategies to generate results. There are a number of tools out there to help you measure the success of your presence in terms of fans, followers, clicks, likes and retweets. Some basic analytics are even available within the network. Use website analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to find out if your social channels are driving visitors to your website.
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