Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and even Snapchat. Small business owners in every industry have wondered what the impact (if any) of using social media platforms to boost their online performance and drive sales. The reality is, though, that entering the world of social media can be overwhelming and ultimately drive disappointing results if not done strategically.

Although its challenges, effective social media can make a company more visible, increase its brand awareness, better their website traffic and SEO, and build stronger customer relationships in the online channel.

We have consulted with our social media experts, and they have provided us with three key tips to consider when deciding on how to make the most out of social media for your small business. Interested? Keep reading!

Have a social media strategy in place

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Many small businesses jump quickly into multiple social media streams only to abandon the accounts (or considerably lower the pace) just a couple of weeks after. You might wonder, what is worse than having no social media presence? Well, what is worst is having a weak, little-engagement social media presence.

Similar to any other marketing activity, it is important to have a clear strategy in place, set the appropriate goals and develop an action plan to achieve these aims. Skipping the research and planning phase would seem tempting at first when you’re excited to get started, but it will pay off in the future (we promise!).

Know your audience

Regarding the point above, a major factor to consider is who exactly your customers are. Setting an account on most social media platforms is very straightforward and inexpensive, but there is no point in doing so without considering your audience. Who exactly are you trying to appeal to? What social media channels do they frequent? What kind of content do they expect from you? If your business is a digital consultancy (like us 🙂 ) spending your time and resources on Pinterest might not serve your best interests. Get to know your customers, know where they are, and deliver tailored content to serve their specific needs.

Make sure you have the appropriate resources to execute it

Although this also refers to financial and human resources, time is the most significant cost when it comes to social media. Most small business owners are so busy running all aspects of their business that they don’t have exactly spare time to devote to update the company’s various social media channels regularly. As we said, the only thing that is worse than lacking a social media page is having one that looks like a ghost-town in the eyes of your audience. What’s more, if a company is not consistently active in their social media channels their messages will get lost, and the reach and chances of getting noticed will be reduced to a not-so-good number, even if the following is high. Here, the key is consistency: don’t set a rhythm that you can’t maintain! Either hourly, daily or even weekly, it is always better to increase the frequency than starting strong and losing momentum.

Overall, we believe that small businesses would be missing an opportunity without an –adequate – social media presence. Planning a killer strategy, striving to know and serve your audience and making sure that you can devote the necessary resources to your social channels will secure you a bold starting point in the social media game. Remember, there is no return without investment!

Are you thinking of taking the next step to build your brand in social media? Have you started and found yourself facing any of these challenges? Share your experience with us in the comments below; we would love to hear from you!