There was a time when posting a funny picture or sending a few tweets was enough to connect with your audience and make them consider your business. My oh my… how things have changed in a few short years! 

Nowadays, consumers use social media to research brands, talk about their experience and hold brands accountable when their products disappoint. And let’s be honest, people tend to take time reacting to a negative experience over a positive one. 

So, how can you make the best of this medium when every action you take is heavily watched or open for scrutinization by your audience?

Don’t stress – we’re here to help. Below… are 4 best practice tips when it comes to small businesses and the digital social scene. 

Be Authentic

This is the first piece of advice we give to our clients: build an authentic voice representing your business’ core values and beliefs. Don’t try to act cool and friendly on social media if your business is serious and professional. It will confuse prospects and make them think twice before choosing you. Take the tone of your overall business and remember who your consumers are. 

Pay Attention to What Your Customers Are Doing & Saying

The great thing about social media is that it’s bidirectional, meaning you can see what your customers are saying about you and how they are using your services. And, that’s a great tool you should use to your advantage.

Remember back in 2016 when McDonald’s ran a social media campaign encouraging its customers to dip their French fries in their milkshakes? Newspapers picked up the story and presented it as a “gross habit that has finally been approved by McDonald’s.”

In reality, the marketing team spotted this behavior on social media and used the insight to create this excellent campaign.

Paid vs. Organic: Why Not Both?

With Facebook’s organic reach hitting as low as 2%, some may wonder if there’s any point in bothering with organic content. Well, if you have an unlimited marketing budget to boost every post you create, you should make the most of Facebook’s advertising options. But, the reality is that even though spending advertising dollars on Facebook is a good idea and does work… most small businesses can’t afford investing big bucks into PPC and are looking for creative solutions to get their content out there.

One effective strategy would be to create evergreen content, meaning always relevant content, and monitor it to see which messages get traction. Then, boost the posts having the potential of reaching a wide audience.

Don’t Jump on Every Bandwagon

Social Media is an ever-evolving ecosystem. So, you have to experiment with different channels and test different tools if you want to keep up and remain relevant. But, that’s not to say you should jump on every bandwagon passing you by. TikTok may be the talk of the town right now, but if it’s not relevant to your business and audience, there’s no point investing time and effort in it.

Stop the Social Insanity! Work with Experts

We hear it all the time, social media is intimidating – especially if you are a small business. At times it can feel as if no one is listening to you and your efforts are futile. With the right strategy and practices in place, you will be able to leverage the potential this media holds and stand out…and above your competitors. 

If you want assistance with your social media marketing strategy, call our team of experts at (800) 617-6975 or contact us here. We’ll not only get you on the right platforms for your business, we’ll help you create the engagement and brand awareness (and excitement) your business deserves.