If ever there were a time to jump into the social media fray as a business owner, 2020 was the year.
With storefronts closed and people stuck at home, engagement on social platforms experienced unprecedented growth. Business who’d previously not engaged launched accounts and grew followings at speeds we’ve not seen in years.
If your business still hasn’t managed to figure out how to make social media a part of your marketing strategy, now’s the time.
Platforms continue to grow, opportunities to reach and engage new audiences in innovative ways are popping up everyday and, even as a small business owner with limited budget there are ways to impact your bottom line via social platforms.
We sat down for a discussion on how local businesses are making it happen with a panel of Chamber members who’ve experienced proven success.
We learned exactly how businesses like LSWG CPAs, LifeCycle and Dublin Roasters are finding new audiences and keeping their old ones coming back for more thanks to creative content, intentional strategy and some good old fashioned hard work.
3 Things Local Business Owners Say You Must Do to Be Successful with Social Media Marketing
Remember, it’s all about connection.
Unlike traditional marketing that can be measured in hard numbers and cold data, social media marketing is about connection. It’s about telling your brand story, bringing your business to life, in ways that make people want to engage with you on and off line.
As Sarah from Dublin Roasters explained, “I think a lot of businesses still struggle with being stuck in traditional marketing where it is more product based and straight up marketing driven and trying to get people to understand it’s more the connection. If people feel like they know you and they connect to you then they’re going to pay attention to what you’re putting out there.”
Find ways to connect to the people on the platform, add value to their lives, so that when they’re ready to buy you’ll be top of mind and worth the investment.
Content is key to your success.
But creating it doesn’t have to be hard.
We talk to so many business owners who struggle when it comes to what to post.
There are countless resources for finding content ideas – holiday celebrations, staff stories, customer stories, hashtags, platform trends, etc. – but this is where you get to have fun.
“You have your content pillars and wanna be sure you hit that… mixing it up is important because people also become blind to things in the feed,” shared Meghan from LSWG CPAs
But also, think about the things that you love in your business – what makes you get up every morning and go into work? What made you get into your industry in the first place? What makes you smile and laugh and feel great about what you do? That’s what you share with your audience.
The things you love and the things you know they want and need to know.
As Emily from LifeCycle shared, “One of the biggest things that we do that helps us is I think about what are the top questions we get from people? Usually if a few people are asking a question, everyone is thinking it, they’re just not saying it. So we answer those.”
Take time to understand the different platforms.
As easy as it is to share from Instagram to Facebook with the touch of a button, you want to be more intentional than that.
Things that will be a hit on Instagram may not be a great fit for YouTube or LinkedIn or even Facebook.
You have to take the time to get to know how the platforms work, what they offer, how the algorithms impact your content performance. Then, develop a strategy that is effective for each platform to maximize your content, reach and engagement.
Sarah from Dublin’s Roasters Coffee explained how they use the platforms in different ways for different purposes, “We use both for different reasons. Instagram is more for outside of Frederick, whereas Facebook really focuses on more of the local community and outreach with nonprofits and local businesses. We are really focusing on online sales and such on Instagram.”
One thing to note, no matter which platform you’re on, finding a way to include more video content is going to be important going forward.
A recent statement from the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri explicitly laid out Instagram shift toward video, “We’re no longer a photo-sharing app,” he said in a clip posted to his social channels. He further indicated that the platform has plans to experiment with delivering different types of video over the next six months, indicating that those engaging on the platform as creators will need to embrace this new format in order to experience success.
Pro Tip: Don’t know, ask! Or hire help. There are countless people out there who have the expertise and the passion to support your business’s social media efforts. And don’t worry about budget. It’s okay to start small. Hire a coach to teach you to do it yourself, bring on a part time person to help, get an intern.
Want to watch the entire panel? Catch the replay here: Live Social Media Panel
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.