Whether your business is just starting out or you’ve been serving customers for over 20 years, a social presence is a must-have for businesses today, and you, my friend, have just drawn a blank as to where to start. Take a seat and save the sweat for the gym, we’ll help you out.
Each social media platform can reach tens of thousands of people, but the trick is determining which platforms can get you in touch with the right users. The right users are the ones you’d like to convert into customers, but you already knew that. Some people figure it’s easier to create an account on every social media platform they come across but that entails a lot of time, money and let’s be honest, frustration.
Invest your time in the accounts that truly pay off and as you focus on a few productive ones, you’ll enable yourself to track results and learn what content, posts, and timing are working the best and which are less favorable. So in a collective attempt to create effective social media marketing for everyone, here are a few steps you can follow to determine the best social platforms for your business:
Step 1: Think like your ideal customer. Let’s say you’re a relatively new Mexican restaurant, you’ve been around for about a year and you’re looking to expand your clientele to greater than locals. You need to think with the mind of a consumer and figure out what would draw you to a new restaurant, near or far. If you’re anything like me, a beautiful photo of my favorite dish (steak tacos and chips with guacamole) would sure do the trick. Now that you know what kind of content will encourage new customers to pay you at least one visit, determine the best places to post that kind of content!
Step 2: Find the platforms with the people you want. Now that you know taste-bud-teasing photos are the perfect bait to reel in new customers, you need to get the content out there! But where you ask? If you’re going for a visually driven marketing approach, use platforms that are great for showing off photos (such as Pinterest, pictured below). If you’re looking to spread some knowledge with lots of writing, join platforms that are good for exactly that. Check out some of the lists we have put together below.
Visual Platforms:
Pinterest
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
StumbleUpon
Flickr
YouTube
Content Driven:
Reddit
Google+
Facebook
LinkedIn
StumbleUpon
Step 3: Create your accounts and keep it comin’! As it is an exciting experience to join a new network and explore the possibilities, be sure you stay on top of it and continuously post content. There’s nothing worse then clicking on an interesting page to find out the owner has neglected it. Do yourself and your viewers a favor and keep your social platforms up-to-date.
Step 4: Grow your following. I know you’re thinking ‘well duh, that’s what all the posting is for,’ but growing your social network really does take some working at to be successful. All those posts you’re socialing out are a great way to get people to recognize you but that’s one of many things you can and should be doing. On each network, search-relevant keywords to find your target audience, such as the town which your business is located (ex: Chicago) and non-competitive businesses near you. Follow them and they may follow you back! Also, interact with their posts and share your posts directly to them. This will ensure they see your content, and if a picture of yummy chips and salsa comes my way, there’s no way I’m saying no.
II hope this advice helped you narrow down the best social media channels for your business. And if you’re interested in knowing what social platforms are best for your specific business, get in touch with us today. We’re happy to talk social strategy and help you grow your business’s online presence.