If you are a small business owner and asking yourself “Which social media is best for small business? Is social media worth it for small business? How does social media help small businesses? How do I create a social media plan for my small business?”, you’ve come to the right place! If you are considering leveraging the power of social media for your business, we’re here to help!
Whether you’re barking up the Instagram tree or chasing after Facebook likes, social media can be a powerful tool for your small business. It can help you fetch new customers, build a community, and paw-sitively impact your bottom line. But let’s be real – crafting a winning social media plan can seem overwhelming. It’s like teaching an old dog new tricks! That’s where we come in. Our team of social media experts is here to provide you with tail-wagging tips and tricks that will help you create a paw-some social media strategy. Let’s dig in!
Why do you need social media marketing?
First things first, why do you need social media marketing? As a small business owner, you may be wondering if social media marketing is worth your time and resources. The short answer is yes, and here’s why.
More and more consumers are turning to social media to research and make purchase decisions. In fact, 54% of social media users use these platforms to research products and 71% are more likely to purchase products and services based on a referral from social media, according to a report by GlobalWebIndex. This means that if you’re not actively promoting your business on social media, you could be missing out on potential customers.
Social media is also a cost-effective way to promote your business and reach a wider audience. Organic posting (posting without paying for advertising) is free! Overall, social media marketing is a necessary component for any small business looking to grow their online presence and attract new customers. By developing a strong social media strategy and consistently posting relevant content, you can establish your business as a credible and valuable resource within your industry.
Because social media marketing isn’t just about posting on Facebook or Twitter randomly and requires a well-crafted strategy that aligns with your business goals, and meeting your target audience where they are spending their time online. You’ll want to develop a social media strategy, where you can ensure that your content is targeted towards your audience and consistent with your brand’s message.
Here’s how to create an effective social media strategy.
Step 1: Define what your goals are with social media.
Knowing what your goals are with social media will help guide your strategy and your content creation. If your goal is to sell $10,000 worth of a product, posting online once a week most likely won’t help reach
this goal. If your goal is to show others why your business is a great place to work, you can show this through videos and pictures of your team, as well as quotes and maybe even have them take over your social media channels to show why your company is a great place to work at.
Some common goals for small businesses include increasing website traffic, improving customer engagement, promoting products or services, and building a loyal following. By identifying your goals, you can determine what actions you need to take to achieve them.
It’s important to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. For example, instead of setting a broad goal of “increasing social media followers,” try setting a SMART goal such as “gaining 100 new followers on Instagram within the next month.”
By setting specific goals, you can better measure your progress and adjust your strategy as needed. It’s also important to prioritize your goals and focus on one or two at a time, rather than trying to achieve everything at once.
Defining your goals is the first step towards creating a winning social media marketing plan for your small business. Take the time to reflect on what you want to achieve and set SMART goals that align with your overall business objectives.
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Step 2: Who is your audience?
Knowing your audience is an important first step to crafting a winning social media marketing plan, so defining your audience is another crucial step. Knowing who your target audience is, their demographics, interests, and preferences will help you create content that resonates with them and drives engagement. Start by analyzing your current customers and their social media behaviors. Which platforms are they using the most? What type of content do they engage with the most? Are they sharing your posts or leaving comments? How do you want them to feel when they engage with your content or your brand?
Additionally, use tools like Facebook Audience Insights to gain more information on your audience. Tools like this provide demographic data such as age, gender, location, interests, and even their online behaviors. Use this data to tailor your social media content to their preferences. For example, if you are a bakery and you see your audience loves Oreos, consider creating a product with Oreos and sharing it on your social media platforms. In addition, it’s also important to consider potential customers (this is separate from your current customers) when defining your audience. Who do you want to attract to your business? What are their pain points and how can your products or services solve them? Use this information to create targeted social media campaigns that will attract potential customers to your business.
Step 3: What content will you create?
Creating engaging and relevant content is essential for any successful social media marketing strategy. Your content should align with your brand, connect with your audience, and inspire engagement or action. But what type of content should you create? Here are a few examples. Remember, what works for one industry or business may not be what works for another.
1. User-generated content: Encourage your followers to create and share content related to your business. Share their content and showcase how your products or services make an impact in their lives.
2. Educational content: Create content that educates your followers on your products, industry trends, or provides tips and advice. This establishes your brand as an authority in your industry and provides value to your audience.
3. Behind-the-scenes content: Show the human side of your business by sharing behind-the-scenes content such as photos or videos of your team working on projects, company events, or community involvement.
Remember, always keep your target audience in mind when creating content. Understand what types of content they are most interested in and cater to their interests. By creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience, you’ll build a loyal following and increase engagement on your social media channels.
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Step 4: What platforms will you use?
Choosing the right platforms for your social media marketing plan can make or break your strategy. While you might be tempted to jump on every platform available, it’s important to take a step back and focus on the platforms that align with your goals and audience. Here are some tips to consider when deciding which platforms to use.
1. Consider your target audience. Knowing your target audience is essential in determining which platforms you should be on. If your business targets younger demographics, platforms like TikTok and Instagram may be more effective than LinkedIn or Facebook.
2. Look at your competitors. Analyze your competition to see what platforms they are using and how successful they are. While you shouldn’t copy their strategy, it’s important to understand what is working for them and why.
3. Focus on quality over quantity. As we said, don’t feel pressured to be on every social media platform available, as well as not feeling pressured to post every day. It’s better to have a strong presence on a few platforms than a weak presence on many. Focus on the platforms where your audience is most active and engaged and focus on creating content that creates value for them.
4. Think about Your Content. Different platforms have different formats and features. Instagram, for example, is all about visuals and hashtags, while Twitter is all about short, concise messages. Choose the platforms that allow you to showcase your content in the best possible way.
5. Plan Your Resources. Managing multiple social media accounts can be time-consuming, so it’s important to consider your available resources. Determine how many people on your team will manage social media and how much time and budget you can allocate to social media marketing, or if it is best to outsource your social media content creation and posting to a platform like Jodder. While sometimes you can copy and paste your content from platform to platform, a majority of your content should be tailored to fit each social platform. Whether it’s resizing your photo, updating hashtags or tweaking the copy, these minor changes can make a big impact.
Remember, it’s better to have a strong presence on a few platforms than to spread yourself thin on many. Take the time to research which platforms will be the most effective for your business and invest in creating quality content that resonates with your audience.
Step 5: How often will you post?
One of the most important elements of a successful social media marketing plan is consistency. Posting on a regular basis is key to building a strong online presence and keeping your followers engaged. But how often should you post? The answer to this question varies depending on your industry, target audience, and the social media platforms you’re using.
As a general rule of thumb, you can aim to post 3-5 posts per week per platform. Of course, some platforms such as TikTok, you can post 3-5 videos per day, but we know that it’s hard to maintain this, so we recommend batch content creating and scheduling content.
While the frequency of posts is important and varies by platform, the other important factor to consider is at what time you are posting. Posting at an optimal time when your audience is active can help increase your reach and engagement.
It’s important to remember that these are just guidelines, and the best posting frequency for your business may vary. Take the time to experiment with different posting schedules and track your results to see what works best for your brand. Ultimately, the goal should be to create a consistent posting schedule that provides value to your followers and helps you achieve your social media marketing goals.
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Step 6: How will you measure success?
As you define your goals in step 1, it’s also important to define your metrics for success in order to gauge the effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts. Here are some key metrics to consider:
1. Engagement: This includes likes, comments, shares, and any other interaction with your social media content. Tracking engagement can help you identify what type of content resonates with your audience and what doesn’t.
2. Follower growth: Keep track of how many followers you have on each platform and how quickly you’re gaining or losing them. Consistent growth in your followers means you’re reaching new people and building brand awareness.
3. Clicks: Measure how many people click on links you share, such as those that lead to your website or landing pages. This can help you track the effectiveness of your calls to action.
4. Conversions: Ultimately, the goal of social media marketing is to drive conversions, whether that’s sales, leads, or any other desired action. Tracking conversion rates can help you understand the impact of your social media marketing efforts on your bottom line.
Keep in mind that measuring success isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. It’s important to identify which metrics are most important for your business and tailor your tracking accordingly. Regularly analyzing and adjusting your social media strategy based on your results can help ensure that you’re continually optimizing for success.
What’s next?
Social media has become an essential part of marketing for many businesses, and creating a social media marketing plan is critical for the success of your business. While crafting a social media marketing plan might seem like a daunting task, it is crucial for small business owners to understand the importance of having a well-defined strategy. By answering the questions mentioned above and following the steps, you will be on the right path to creating a winning social media marketing plan for your business.
However, if you still find yourself struggling or feel that you don’t have the time to dedicate to social media marketing, it might be worth considering hiring a professional furry social media companion, like Jodder. We can help with creating a customized social media strategy, crafting engaging content, and managing your social media accounts on your behalf. Don’t let social media marketing be a burden on your small business. Embrace its potential and see how it can help you grow and succeed in the ever-changing digital world.
