While promotional marketing products remain an important advertising tool, small business owners also have to think about capitalizing on digital resources to maintain relevance in the modern economy. Without an effective online presence, a company can easily fall behind its competition because many consumers go online to search for goods and services. Specifically, social media profiles are practically requirements in order to reach out to customers these days.
Small business owners must create pages and engage followers in order to maintain revenue and increase sales. Of course, social media isn’t an exact science, but there are some tactics that have proven quite successful. Below is a look at some of the most effective strategies for marketing an enterprise on various social networks.
Simplicity and tone
Some entrepreneurs complicate social media marketing because they erroneously believe that they’re missing out on key benefits from the channel. These small business owners continually strive toward success and try to implement advanced techniques, some of which are completely unnecessary.
According to Social Media Today, taking a simple approach and creating a unique voice are the core elements of success. This means that professionals should use their own strategies and act naturally online instead of forcing themselves to tweet, update Facebook and undertake other initiatives to engage consumers.
Entrepreneurs should behave online as they would during live interactions with customers. This means responding to questions and concerns quickly to ensure that clients are fully satisfied. Ultimately, this approach may be the simplest way for small business owners to avoid complicating social media.
Explore new frontiers
Every entrepreneur knows how to market on major networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. However, these three aren’t the only sites that company leaders should capitalize on because there are others that can also be effective for bolstering brand equity.
Instagram, Pinterest and even Google+ allow owners to connect with customers in unique ways. For instance, Instagram and Pinterest are almost entirely picture based so organizations can post photos that actively engage followers. Entrepreneurs can post behind-the-scenes shots, advertisements and everything in between to create compelling accounts that consumers enjoy checking every day.
Expanding beyond the major social networks is essential for social media marketing success. For one, owners have to maintain control over their brands on all fronts. Further, having multiple advertising channels enables professionals to integrate their promotional content to generate synergy between networks.
Use the staff
Consumers don’t want to interact with a faceless corporation on social media. According to Entrepreneur Magazine, Anita Campbell, founder of Small Business Trends, notes that employees shouldn’t be hidden behind titles when posting updates.
“I don’t know about your company, but I don’t have anyone in my company named ‘admin,'” Campbell said.
Indeed, it may seem odd to some customers when they constantly see a business posting content, not actual people. This makes it difficult for clients to feel connected to a company because it seems like a brand that’s just pushing out advertisements instead of an actual person publishing engaging messages.
To that end, small business owners should ask employees to participate in social media marketing efforts. Staff members can contribute by posting their own content and creating unique personalities in their messages. This will make customers feel more connected to a company than before because it shows that there are people behind every update.
Entrepreneur Magazine also points out that entrepreneurs must pick the right personnel to participate in social media marketing campaigns because these workers will now be official company representatives. Everything that these employees post will reflect on the business and can impact its reputation.