Social media marketing for small businesses: 4 tips that work

Every small business needs customers. Without qualified customers, it would be difficult for any type of business (large or small) to survive long term. What is the best way to acquire customers? Marketing in social networks for small businesses.

While there are many reasons why you should use social media marketing for small businesses to improve and grow your business, the most obvious one is that it will help you win more customers. And it helps your company to gain more prominence.



With the growing popularity of social networks, there is no doubt that your potential customers are using the main social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And the best part is that many of these social media users (their prospects) visit these platforms every day.





Here are some statistics to help you understand the importance of social media marketing for small businesses and why you need to take it seriously.



According to a survey conducted by eMarketer, 88% of companies use social networks.

96% of people who talk about your brand online do not follow you on social networks.

Customers spend between 20% and 40% more on products/services of companies that are involved with them in social networks.

When you use social media marketing for small businesses, you can easily reach your target audience and establish a lasting relationship with them. This is a highly effective way to build a brand that people trust and, at the same time, get more for your money.



Also, compared to traditional marketing techniques, with social media marketing for small businesses, you are more likely to get a positive return on investment. This is due to the fact that marketing through social networks is much cheaper for a small business, especially one with a limited budget.



As a small business owner, you should see social media as a solid tool that can help create greater awareness, increase the number of sales and create a real customer base. When you really understand the potential of social media marketing for small businesses, you will see that the results you get are much better.



Social media marketing for small businesses: 4 tips that work

Let's take a look at the four social media marketing tips relevant to small businesses that can help your company gain an advantage over the competition.

# 1: have a clear plan in place

When it comes to social media marketing for small businesses, having a solid and clear strategy is the first step to finding success. There are many reasons why a company may not get results with social media marketing, but sometimes it's just because they did not know what they were doing.



Every action you take to build your presence on social networks and market your brand should be carefully planned. No matter what type of business you manage or who your target audience is, as long as you have an established plan, it will be easier for you to overcome any challenge that comes your way.

Here's how you can create a solid social media marketing plan for the small business plan.

A) Establish the correct objectives of social networks

What do you want to achieve with social networks? When using social media marketing for small businesses, it is important that you set goals and objectives that really help you grow.



For example, if you are marketing on Facebook, you should not only focus on getting more I like in your publications and on your page, but you should also try to increase the number of potential customers and the sales you are getting. Try to align your social media goals to your business objectives.

By taking advantage of social media marketing for small businesses, it is easy to get stuck in vanity metrics instead of improving the bottom line of your business. But understand that social networks will only be beneficial for your small business if you finally get more customers using them. Or, it is simply a waste of time, money and energy.

B) Carry out an adequate audit of social networks

To make the most of social media marketing for small businesses, it is crucial that you know which of your customers and prospects are already connected to you on the main social media platforms and how they perceive your brand. It gives you a better idea of your position in the field of social networks.

When performing an adequate audit of social networks, it basically includes the following social networks and also learns which platform is most used by its customers to access it.

An audit of social networks also gives you knowledge of the areas that need improvement. And a better perspective of how your competitors are building their presence on social networks. Remember, the more you know about your customers and their competition, the easier it will be for you to win the game of social networks. Which in turn helps your company survive and grow.

C) Build your presence in social networks

If you do not yet have social media accounts for your company, it's time to create them. However, it is extremely important that you only work with social networks that will directly help your type of business grow. In other words, the social media network to which you dedicate your time must adapt to the goals of your small business.



Once you have completed this step, you must develop your presence on social networks in the network of your choice. This does not mean that you post any kind of random content on your social pages. Every step you take to improve your presence must match the goals of your large and small business.



Your social media activities should also be in line with the likes and dislikes of your target audience. Regardless of what you want to achieve with your social media marketing activities, make sure that each of your accounts reflects your objectives and the values of your brand.

D) Inspire yourself with other brands

When you do social media marketing for small businesses, it's easy to get confused and misinterpret what your audience is looking for. This can lead you to create content that does not go well with your general business objectives. That's why you need to spend time searching and analyzing the type of content that other companies post on their social media accounts.



These companies can be your direct competitors or they can even complement your business. The idea is to gain a clear understanding of the type of content that is working for them. Look for patterns and see what offers the greatest social response.



You can also take advantage of social listening to find information about your prospects and what they want to see from you. This not only ensures that you create the right content on a regular basis, it also helps you differentiate yourself from the crowd.



When looking for inspiration, it is not necessary that you only analyze other small companies that use social media marketing. You can also go further and really learn from industry leaders and larger brands such as Starbucks, Oreo, Netflix, Apple, etc. It allows you to get some real lessons from social networks first-hand.



Remember, these big companies have huge budgets that they allocate to social networks and much of what they do is backed by true research and understanding. When you get their way of doing things and see how they are implementing their social network tactics, it gives you a real inspiration to formulate your own strategy.

E) Create a social media calendar

Creating quality content on social networks is not enough. You must also make sure that you reach your followers constantly. An effective way to share the right type of content is to use a social media calendar. Without complicating things, a social media calendar is nothing more than a detailed calendar of the type of content that will be published in each of your social network accounts. It gives you the necessary clarity to publish social network updates that matter.


There are multiple ways to create your social media calendar. You can choose to go the simplest way using a spreadsheet or calendar in your Google Drive or use a more robust approach using a payment tool.


No matter what tool you use to create your calendar, what really matters is how detailed it is and how you will execute it. Because, ultimately, its precise execution plays an important role in making its efforts successful.


Having a clear calendar in social networks allows you to be responsible, be consistent, save a lot of time, be more productive and achieve greater peace of mind, all of which contribute to creating a result-oriented social media marketing approach.

# 2: Choose the right platform

One of the things that can affect the marketing of your social networks for the results of small businesses is the choice of your platform. To make the most of social media marketing for small businesses and make your brand stand out from the rest, it is crucial that you choose a platform that is suitable for your business objectives. If not, you may end up spending your time and money on a social network that probably will not give you a favorable return on investment.



Do not make the mistake of selecting a social media platform based on a wild estimate or what others are doing. It is important that you take into consideration your target audience, your preferences, and other demographic information before you start working with a platform.



Let's see three of the main social platforms, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and what makes them different.

Platform 1: Facebook

One of the reasons why Facebook is an attractive option for social network marketing for small business marketers is that it has more than two billion active monthly users, which makes it a big market for a small business I can not reach.


The kind of reach you can experience with Facebook cannot be found on any other social networking website. That's why having a strong Facebook presence can help your small business move to the next level.


Another important thing to consider is the fact that these days many people are searching for products and services directly on Facebook. That's right, the days are gone when Google was the only search engine on the Internet.



Today, Facebook has given people a new option to search and find what they are looking for.



Here are some key demographics of Facebook that you should keep in mind:



Facebook users fall to a large extent in the age range of 25 to 34 years.

When it comes to genres, 47% of Facebook users are men and 53% of them are women.

Speaking of online senior users, 56% of baby boomers (over 65) are on Facebook.

Facebook has become a center for companies and brands to connect with their target audience. It is THE social platform that gives you access to a large number of eyeballs, even with a limited budget.


This is exactly the reason why the advertising system created by Facebook is one of the most efficient that exist. The level of guidance you can achieve with Facebook ads can help small businesses like yours get the best return on your investment.


Having a strong presence on Facebook is as important as having your own website. It gives you an advantage over other small businesses in your niche that does not use Facebook to do business with the market and build new relationships.


The best part of Facebook is that it helps you connect with a large number of relevant people at a fraction of the cost. These can be your potential customers whom you could not have reached without Facebook.


Facebook also has live streaming features that allow you to reach your audience in real time. This is an excellent way to grow and foster new relationships and improve the level of trust that people have in their brand.


Last but not least, Facebook also allows you to integrate your e-commerce business and helps you increase the number of long-term sales. Obviously, this depends on the efficiency with which you take advantage of Facebook and the type of effort and money you invest to make your brand's presence felt.

Platform 2: Instagram

If you are active on social media in some way, then you should know about the popularity of Instagram. Instagram is an application to share photos and a social network that is owned by nothing less than Facebook.



When you see the general mission of Instagram and how your parent company Facebook wants to position it in the market, you can understand the true potential offered by the social network. It is much more than an application to share photos. Which means that as a small business, you should be able to find your target audience and also connect with them visually as never before.



Every Instagram user knows that being an Instagrammer is about sharing and spreading attractive images in the form of images, videos, and stories. And they are doing their part. What is attracting more users day after day, and increasing the level of commitment?



Slowly and constantly, Instagram is becoming one of the most important places on the Internet to connect with other people by sharing visual content that really matters to them. More and more brands and small businesses have started using Instagram creatively not only to spread knowledge but also to generate sales.

Here are some key demographic data on Instagram:

In terms of gender, Instagram has more men than women. About 51% of Instagram users are men and 49% are women.

The United States. is a popular market for Instagram since 55% of its users are in the age range of 18 to 29 years. This means that Instagram is being dominated by millennials.

After the millennial generation, the users who share the most on Instagram come in the age range of 30 to 50 years, which represents up to 28% of the general user base.

Instagram will work incredibly for your business if you have the right visual elements to share. For example, if you are an e-commerce website aimed at a female audience, then Instagram is an excellent place to share photographs of your physical products and relate to your potential customers.



What makes Instagram different from the rest of social networks is that it allows you to showcase and present your products in the way that your prospects really want to see. People want to connect to a product at a visual level before investing in it. By creating and publishing relevant images, you can tell a story that your target audience can experience in a unique and memorable way. What could be more attractive than that?



You can also take advantage of Instagram's unique story feature and take the people behind the scenes. Show them what they would not normally see. For example, you can give them a tour of the office or show them how your computer works in the background. This is a perfect way to document the trip of your business and share it with your photos to grow your brand.



Instagram allows you to communicate with your audience in more than one. You can even go a step further and communicate with your followers at a much deeper level by taking advantage of the power of direct messaging. This way you can connect to your audience in a more personal way. Which obviously can have a positive effect on your business and on how people perceive your brand.

Platform 3: LinkedIn

LinkedIn is where web professionals hang out. It is a social network that allows professionals at all levels to connect with each other and create more opportunities along the way. Some people see it as an official version of Facebook, with the exact tools you need to increase the reach of your brand.



There is no doubt that LinkedIn gives you access to users that you may not be able to identify on other large social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. It's where the business happens. It is no wonder that Microsoft has spent more than 25 million dollars to acquire it in 2016.



Some more demographics to help you get a better picture:



About 56% of LinkedIn users are men and 44% are women.

25% of regular users on LinkedIn are in the age group of 18 to 29 years.

More than 60% of LinkedIn users are between 30 and 65 years old.

LinkedIn offers some of the most relevant and easy-to-use features for a small business to take advantage of.



First, LinkedIn has a community of professionals who love interacting with other professionals and brands. They have a great commercial sense and a great understanding of how to connect and work with others.



It is a social networking platform that offers a professional environment to establish connections with other companies that are also socially active. Which means that, as a small business, it's easy for you to become an innovative leader by leveraging the power of the LinkedIn community.



You can use LinkedIn to increase your brand awareness and get more people to show interest in your business by creating a dedicated company page.



Even when looking to hire someone for your small business, LinkedIn allows you to create and post specific job offers that can be found by the right candidate.



Yes, LinkedIn's advertising platform is a bit more expensive than Facebook's, but it may be worth it, especially if it's in the B2B sector.



Use the above information to analyze and discover what social network would work best to help you grow your small business. If necessary, you may need to expand your efforts on various social networking sites. One or many: your decision should depend on your business objectives.

# 3: Work with buyers

Your "adventure" in social media marketing will be short-lived and outstripped by your competitors if you do not understand your target audience. You need to know your audience like the back of your hand to get a better picture of your pain points and also of what excites them. You need to know your goals and objectives.



How well you know that your audience can be clearly seen in the content of the social networks you create. If the content does not offer value to your audience and does not help them in a dignified way, then they will avoid reading it. Which obviously will affect the number of actions and social followers that you will obtain in the future.



When you understand your potential customer and what you are looking for, it is easy to connect with them at a higher level. Your business can generate more numbers and add to the bottom line with each client you connect with.



If you look around you, you will find that more than half of the companies have not worked to create a buyer's person, which is the first and most basic step to know and serve your audience. The more you know about your clients' typical day and the obstacles they face, the easier it will be to keep their promises and provide them with valuable solutions to their problems.

Step 1: Investigate your audience

To know your audience, you need to do an investigation about them. This allows you to create a realistic and accurate person. This leads him to know the important details of his clients that he would not otherwise have found.



Start by understanding your current customers and how you interact with them. Learn about their habits and how they interact with your brand. Do you have some customers who are a big fan of your products? Do some of them buy you again and again? What features make them different or similar to others?



Ask the right questions can help you discover the common points between some of your most valuable customers. Based on this information, you could create a strong person to help you connect with potential customers on social networks.



When you use social networks, you also have a unique opportunity to connect with customers who have complained about your product/service on Facebook or Twitter. These clients with a bad experience can offer you many unique tips on where you are wrong and how you can improve.

Step 2: Develop Separate People

Once you have the minute details that you find in common among the best customers, it's time to organize them into different people, which helps you to pinpoint more accurately when using social media marketing for small businesses.



You can do it easily by creating a list of clients within your audience that share the same type of objectives and face similar challenges. Create separate groups of these clients and categorize them. Each category you add is just a unique person who will take advantage later.



For example, if you are a yoga teacher, some of your students may want to do yoga to perfect their posture, while others may aim to do so to develop muscle strength. While these two clients want to do yoga, but for different reasons or goals. That's why it makes sense to create two different people for them.

Step 3: Name your people and add details

When you give your buyer name a name, you are accomplishing two important things: first, it will be easier to connect with them when you feel that you are really interacting with a real person. Second, it can help you create much better content that is customized or customized for the right audience.



Companies that take buyers seriously, make sure they focus on the details. Then, if you can, add an image to each of the people of your buyers to make it easier to connect with them. The more realistic, the better.

# 4: Do not ignore the power to promote through social networks

Many small businesses think that social networks only have to do with building a brand and increasing awareness. But did you know that by not taking advantage of social networks to promote your products, you are actually leaving money on the table? It's okay. Social media is huge and, when used in the right way, can generate a lot of sales for your business.



Now, if you're thinking that promoting through social media is just about sending a tweet or sharing a photo on Instagram, then you're wrong. You need a targeted strategy to make sure you get the best results from your efforts.



You must serve your followers on social media by balancing valuable content with promotional content. In other words, most of your activity on social networks should be non-promotional to build trust and add value to the lives of your followers. A small percentage (for example, 20 percent) should focus on actually increasing their sales numbers. For every 8 attractive and informative tweets, share 2 promotional tweets that help you increase your customer base.