When you begin in business, there’s a whole host of things you need to do – there’s your products or service to offer, the website to create, and then it’s time to pay attention to generating awareness of your brand.

Having a social media presence is one way to shout out about your business, tell people who you are and what you do. It’s a quick and effective way to market your business that cannot be ignored. It’s where your customers are so it really is essential for you to operate in that space.

But where do you begin?!

Don’t miss our guide to getting your social media strategy going.

  1. What’s the plan?! – no doubt your business began with a business plan, so think of your social media in the same way. It’s about organising your activity, knowing what you have, what you’re going to do and how to measure the results. If you already have some accounts take an objective look at them and make sure they meet the goals for your business.
  2. Who’s your audience? – this seems simple but it’s the step that is often forgotten. Knowing who will be interested in what you have to offer, and how to reach them, is key. Without this awareness, your activity is just a scattergun of information that doesn’t reach the right people. It becomes meaningless and a waste of your time & resources.
  3. How’s best to reach them? – not all social media platforms work well for all businesses. The simple fact is that not everyone is on every single platform – there are too many of them out there and you’ll be spreading yourself way too thin! So you must work out what platforms you’re most likely to find your ideal client in, and make sure you use them. This is the only way you will build a relationship with them, quite simply because you’re operating within the space they are in. It’s basic but essential.
  4. How much is too much? – social media is a very useful way of promoting your business. But your posts shouldn’t solely be used as a sales channel. You’ll end up putting people off and they’ll turn away from your brand. There’s something called the Pareto Principle in management consultancy which is the 80/20 rule – 80% of sales come from 20% of clients. This also transfers to social media strategy – you should aim for 20% self-promotion and 80% engaging with customers, being social and being part of that all important conversation.
  5. How do I get visual? – you need to be creative and interesting with your posts or people won’t engage with them. Aim to use images, video or even graphics within as many posts as you possibly can. There’s always something quirky you can find, whatever your business. And platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are all about stories, so play around and have fun! The best advice is to be authentic and aim for your own material – it’s much more effective. Try to create material that can be used across most of your social media platforms so you maximise the time, effort and hard earned cash it took to create it.
  6. How did you do? – always be open to comments and feedback. This allows for social proofing – it makes your business look authentic and trustworthy. These days before making a buying decision consumers will look at a few reviews about a product they haven’t previously purchased. Reviews form an integral part of building trust for a brand so it’s incredibly important for feedback to be visible and positively encouraged.
  7. What about change? – one thing’s for certain with social media is that it’s constantly changing. Algorithms are a moving feat and trends on how people use various social media platforms also change. Try to be aware of what’s happening, and be prepared to adapt and work with those changes if you want to remain current. Keep an eye on how your posts are working for your business, what times are most effective and what posts are working well. Then use your knowledge to make any necessary changes and capitalise on what’s working.

Even with all this advice, running social media for your business can seem like an unruly beast. So why not take a load off and get SocialBee Social Media on board for your business? We understand all of the above – and so much more.

Create a social media buzz for your business with SocialBee.