If your business isn’t incorporating social media into its digital marketing strategy, you’re missing out. Small businesses often make the mistake of neglecting social media because they think they won’t be able to gain enough traction. Although your small business is unlikely to gain millions of followers and be trending across the Internet, it can still build a social media presence and reputation within your local community. If you’re considering creating social media accounts for your small business or attempting to grow your social media presence, we have the tips that can help.

Choosing the Right Platforms

One of the most important aspects of a successful social media strategy is to make sure you’re using the right platform for your business. Each social media platform works best with different types of businesses because of their formats and their unique audiences. Most businesses can benefit from Facebook because it has the widest audience of any platform and many people use it to look up businesses. Additionally, Facebook has a wide variety of features designed for businesses. Other platforms, though, have more specific audiences.

Instagram is a great option for businesses that lend themselves well to high quality photos. Restaurants and bars can show off their latest concoctions and retailers can show off their most attractive products. However, if your business operates out of an office and doesn’t have many picture-worthy products or moments, you Instagram might not be right for your business. Twitter is a good option for businesses aimed at younger demographics, but probably won’t be particularly useful for businesses whose clientele is mostly over 40.

Snapchat is another platform that is primarily successful for businesses with younger clientele. Additionally, Snapchat is most successful for businesses that host a lot of events and are able to produce interesting snapshots. Restaurants and bars can often benefit from Snapchat, but office-type businesses are less likely to have success. Finally, LinkedIn is a platform that many businesses invest in. Because LinkedIn is so business oriented, it best serves B2B business. Many business of all types use LinkedIn as a recruiting tool and a method to establish an online presence, but B2B businesses will have the most success with LinkedIn marketing.

Using Hashtags

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all allow for hashtags. When you use hashtags on your post, you can connect your account to other relevant accounts. Small businesses should always use local hashtags, such as mentioning your city and/or state within the hashtag. Using local hashtags will help connect you with other local businesses and posts. Additionally, hashtags are one of the best ways to maximize visibility and make sure your post is seen.

Connecting With Other Local Businesses

Connecting with other local businesses on social media is the best way to build your online presence within your local community. Whenever possible, mention other local businesses, which will, in turn, encourage them to mention your business as well. On Twitter, this connection is especially important. You can retweet other local businesses and mention them when it’s relevant. When you create partnerships with local businesses whether you boost each other, you will build a presence and reputation within your local community.

Using Facebook Events

Any time your business is hosting an event that you’d like the public to attend, you should create a Facebook event. Facebook events are a great way to create buzz around your event, as people will see the event and can RSVP through Facebook. Each time a user says that they’re attending your event, all of their friends will then see your event on their own news feeds. Additionally, Facebook has a feature to “discover” local events, where users can scroll through events happening in their area. This features allows your event and your business to be seen by everyone in your area.

Don’t be Afraid of Paid Social

Paid social media ads are the best way to ensure visibility for your business and get the best results. You can target these ads based on location, ensuring that the ads will be seen by your local community. You can also target the ads based on other demographics such as age, gender, interest, and more. The best part about social media ads, though, is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get results. Just a couple of dollars can help reach hundreds of people in your local community and build your online reputation.

ImageWorks, LLC | Social Media Marketing

Implementing a social media strategy is not always a simple task, and can take more time than you have on your hands. When properly executed, a social media campaign can generate website traffic to your website, while bringing in new leads for your business, allowing you to connect with prospective buyers. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, or would like to begin a social media campaign of your own!

Whether you are just getting started or have an engine in place that needs fine tuning, ImageWorks can help you join the Social Media wave to get yourself recognized and generate more business. Market yourself and your brand to the 100’s of millions of online interactive users.

We understand that social media can be overwhelming, and it's not always easy to change with each update or refresh. If you are looking to boost your social media marketing then you may want to take a step back and reevaluate the online presence you already have.