Want a better system for getting leads and clients?
Then you need to attend our upcoming workshop that goes step by step through our lead generation process that has been so successful in our clients’ businesses -- the L.E.A.D. Blueprint. Sign up here now!
Small business marketing and marketing in general has changed dramatically over the years thanks to the social media revolution.
Back in the day, someone would simply ask you for your business card and that was the way to get in the door to promote your small business.
Then, the question changed to do you have a website? And, that was the calling card of the day and the best way to reach prospects and leads.
Now, the question revolves around social media. Do you have a Facebook page? Are you on Twitter? What is your LinkedIn?
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are the big three.
The power houses if you will.
But social media continues to change at warp speed and new platforms are emerging so it’s important to stay in the know and be ready to evolve.
At one time, social media was nice to have and a compliment to any small business marketing strategy.
Now it’s a MUST HAVE and no longer optional. If you’re not on social media, you need to be. It is a necessity and vital to the success of any small business marketing strategy.
At Connect 365, we understand the realm of social media can seem pretty damn overwhelming. You may be filled with questions and not even know where to start.
What do you post?
Where should you post it?
When is the best time to post?
Three burning questions that are hard to answer for many small businesses who don’t have a marketing team at the ready. Not having the answers to these questions can stop us dead in our tracks before we even begin, but social media strategy doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Spend a few minutes with us as we unravel the mystery and show you how to grow your business using social media. It’s not as hard as it seems, trust us!
Getting Started With Social Media Marketing
Here are a few quick facts about social media marketing before we get started.
- Over 70% of B2B purchase decision makers use social media to help them decide on purchases
- The average Internet user has 8.4 social media accounts.
- There are currently 4.2 billion active social media users, almost twice as many as 5 years ago.
- Social media users spend an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes on social channels every day.
- A little more about the social media key players:
- Facebook continues to be the giant with over 2 billion active users as of 2018. Adults aged 18+ spend 43 minutes per day on Facebook alone.
- Over 40% of the 630 million users on LinkedIn login every day with over 70% of executives logging in every day.
- 80% of social media B2B leads come from LinkedIn.
- Twitter had 321 million users as of the end of 2018 and Twitter.com is the 7th most visited website in the world.
The beauty is that you no longer have to post on each one separately and can spread your messages across platforms easily and inexpensively.
You can open a social media account instantly at no charge. LinkedIn does offer a premium option with some enhanced features, but still a very low-cost way to grow your business using social media.
The takeaway? Your social media presence is no longer option if you want consistent growth for your business.
Determine Social Media Goals and Objectives
Social media presents a realm of possibilities and it’s easy to get lost which is why it’s important to have a plan. Set clear goals and objectives that follow the SMART framework and make sure they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.
It’s important to link a time frame or deadline to each goal so it doesn’t get away from you. Check back often and review goals to make sure they are being achieved and the plan is working.
Want a better system for getting leads and clients?
Then you need to attend our upcoming workshop that goes step by step through our lead generation process that has been so successful in our clients’ businesses -- the L.E.A.D. Blueprint. Sign up here now!
What Should You Be Posting On Social Media For Your Business
Knowing what to post is half the battle and curating content for various social media platforms can be a full-time job. Many successful companies follow the 80-20 rule.
The rule says to use “80% of your content to inform, educate, or entertain your audience and the other 20% to promote your brand or sell your products.”
That’s because the entire goal of social media is not just to sell products. It’s to build trust and confidence in you and your brand.
And for that to happen you need to focus on THREE things with your social media strategy.
The big key is that you need to be consistently sharing relevant content. Content that your prospects care about to be seen as an authority in the space.
Key #1: Relevancy - Shows That You Understand Your Prospect And Their Industry
Written articles, vidoes, and images are the three most engaging types of content on social media.
But the thing most people get wrong, is that it doesn’t have to be your own content… you can use curated content.
Meaning not all of this content needs to be yours. In fact, for most businesses it shouldn’t all be content created by you. You can “borrow” authority by sharing articles, videos, graphics, etc. from industry publications. You still look like an expert but you don’t have to spend hours every week creating content.
Understand Your Audience’s Interests & Needs
Your content needs to be relevant to YOUR audience. Content that THEY care about.
45% of consumers will unfollow a brand if their activity is dominated by self-promotion. The data backs this as well. In a recent study 62% of LinkedIn members engage with content on the platform because they found it educational or informative.
Because, branding and marketing are not just about tooting your own horn. You need to provide valuable, engaging information and insights to build trust, and make your social media about the customer and their needs or challenges, not just about how great you are.
Striking a balance and looking at the data is the key to find a social media marketing strategy that works for your audience. We recommend the 80/20 rule. 80% content 20% self promotion.
The goal of any social media strategy is to connect with your audience through any platform to create brand awareness, make a connection, establish trust, build relationships, and ultimately make a lifetime customer.
Research the Competition
You should always try to stay ahead of the competition, know what they’re doing at all times and make sure you’re doing it better. Social media strategy for small businesses or any business for that matter requires constant awareness of the competition, as well as an understanding of what other businesses are doing in general.
We can often find inspiration from other companies, industries and our favorite brands that are just doing it right and finding success. Model your small business social media strategy to follow their lead and capitalize on their successes.
Key #2: Consistency - Keeps You Top Of Mind
97% of your market is not ready to buy now. In other words, only 3% of your potential prospects are interested in buying right now. The other 97% need more time before they are ready.
And 90% of decision-makers never answer a cold call, but 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make purchasing decisions
To achieve top of mind status with your prospects it takes multiple touchpoints. Consistently putting your brand and relevant content in front of them
In the past you used to need 6-8 touch points to gain awareness.
But with all the digital noise now this number has risen to over 10 touch points before your brand is remembered!
Look at the top influencers in your industry. How much are they posting? Is it once a week?
No. They post regularly. So should you.
But how do you do this efficiently?
Establish a Social Media Calendar
The social media world is mammoth with many moving parts and pieces. It can easily get out of control and that is why there needs to be organization.
Creating a social media calendar is vital and helps to post the right content on the right platform, at the right time. It’s the perfect way to solve the Rubik’s cube of social media strategy.
The beauty of the social media calendar is that it can be tweaked at any moment. If something isn’t working, you can refocus platforms, adjust timing or revisit content to find the formula that works for you.
Social Media Automation
As a small business owner dealing with the day-to-day is hectic enough and often leaves little time to focus on social media marketing.
If a dedicated position is not in the budget, then social media automation is the answer. The right tools can save you time and allow you to focus on everything else.
Social media automation simplifies everything and does the work for you. You can automate the entire process so that you do almost nothing while staying top of mind with your best prospects.
There’s so much you can do with social media. It provides an outlet to entertain, engage and establish authority.
Social media gives prospects and customers a direct link to small business owners and leaders and gives you a voice to connect with the community.
If you know your audience well, then your social media content should be filled with topics your prospects and customers care about.
Always remember to post quality over quantity. You don’t want to bombard your audience with unnecessary content just for the sake of posting.
Want a better system for getting leads and clients?
Then you need to attend our upcoming workshop that goes step by step through our lead generation process that has been so successful in our clients’ businesses -- the L.E.A.D. Blueprint. Sign up here now!
Identify the Best Time to Post
There is really no one size fits all answer as to the best time to post. It really depends on the platform, business type and individual target audience which is why data is king.
As a general rule of thumb. “it’s best to post first thing in the morning because this is when people are catching up on their newsfeeds. Lunchtime is always great because it’s when people tend to have the biggest gaps in their schedules. Just after working hours are effective too because people are checking out what they missed over the day.”6 Be mindful and don’t bombard people with unnecessary or untimely content.
Increase Engagement
Engaging and connecting with your audience is the key to a successful social media strategy. Social media platforms allow you to extend reach throughout a community and further. You can speak directly to customers and can also monitor what they’re saying and address any negative comments as soon as possible. Social media allows you to create groups that start conversations, run special promotions to add new followers, invite people to face-to-face and online events, create influencers that spread awareness and provide a direct link to purchase your product or services.
Why Connect 365?
The world of social media marketing is hard to keep up with. If you don’t have a marketing team on your side and don’t know how to grow your business using social media, then it’s time to call in someone that can. Let Connect 365 help and do it for you. Our social media automation approach will keep your small business top-of-mind, increase user engagement and result in more sales. Connect 365 can support you through the entire process with as little or as much help as you need. From email automation to lead management to social media automation, we can do the heavy lifting for you so that you can focus on running your business. Request an invite and let’s connect today!
The Takeaway
For those of you who have a meeting in five minutes or are on deadline and don’t have a few minutes to read the entire article, here are a few points you can mull over until you have more time.
- If you don’t have a social media strategy, now is the time to start or you’ll miss reaching key prospects and ultimately customers.
- Set social media goals and objectives and have a clear plan.
- Understand your audience and look at data to back it up to identify which social platforms appeal to your target.
- Stay one step ahead of the competition and look to social media strategies that work for other industries and favorite brands.
- Content should be engaging, trustworthy and connect with your audience. Quality vs. Quantity.
- The best time to post social media content is dependent on your audience. As a general rule of thumb, focus on morning, lunchtime and after working hours for best attention span.
- Use social media to increase engagement by creating groups, inviting people to live and online events and establishing influencers that can help spread awareness.
- Create a social media calendar to harness the chaos and tweak as necessary based on results.
- Social media automation is a beautiful thing and does everything for you so you can focus on the day-to-day operations of running your small business.
- Connect 365 can help and our social media automation solution can do everything for you.
- Connect with us today!