So many small businesses suffer from lack of capital and that can translate into lack of man hours. But even without deep dockets, a full-time marketing department and snazzy campaigns, these 7 major social media strategies will get you going!
1. Social Customer Care According to leading social media giant Hootsuit, social media is now the main channel of communication between businesses and their customers. Therefore, it is imperative to dedicate resources to managing your social media communication. Taking the time to closely monitor customer questions, as well as what customers are saying about you, can work wonders for your brand. By keeping an eye on your social media, you can quickly turn a negative experience into a positive one, simply by addressing the customer and letting them know you hear them.
2. Brand Advocacy This is all about what you can do on the inside to improve your business. One company implemented a unique strategy, allowing their voice to be in the hands of employees. CA Technologies, one of the largest software companies in the world, created a program designed to teach their employees how to be active in social media. By incorporating this program, employees felt empowered and more accountable. They were given the tools to become the company’s voice, and the results were outstanding. After all, sometimes your employees are your best advocates.
3. An Authentic Brand Voice Trust is a very important characteristic for a brand to develop. It can sometimes be difficult for customers to recognize that you are authentic and real. There are many ways to interact with your customers in a personal way. Here are a few things to keep in mind when building an authentic voice: stay true to your brand’s values, drop your ego and allow customers to see your vulnerable side, and show your customers what it looks like “behind the scenes”.
4. Social Video Video is a particularly strong means of communicating emotion, and can offer great value to your marketing campaign. Creating a video for your business can be very inexpensive and offer exceptional returns if done right. Most smartphones are capable of shooting picture and video with great quality, and Facebook and YouTube are totally free platforms to upload videos. These suggestions will help get you going:
use titles and descriptions to make your content visible,
YouTube ads can be a great resource and you only pay if someone clicks through, and
learn where to concentrate your efforts with YouTube analytics.
5. User-Generated Content Businesses are constantly under pressure to come up with new content to keep up with changes. By turning over this task to your customers, you receive unique content, as well as engage with your customers at a deeper level. One of the most cost-effective strategies, implementing a user-generated campaign harvests great results.
Not sure where to begin? Start by inviting customers to share their personal recipes, share pictures of them using your product, organize writing or drawing contests, or repost customer pictures onto your page.
6. Using Influences
77% of people are more likely to buy a product that’s recommended by someone they trust. Think about it, when you see your favorite actor or sports figure using a certain product, doesn’t that entice you to start using the same product? To begin using influencers in your marketing campaign, start by recognizing the companies that motivate your business through social media and begin communicating with those brands. You don’t have to know a celebrity to have an endorser for your product. Search for a regular customer who loves your business and make them the celebrity. There is a lot of fun to be had with this one!
7. Cross-Promotion
All users have their preferred social media platforms. With that being said, it is important to utilize many channels to make the most of your online presence. Post content on every platform to reach as many customers as possible. Be sure to include links to all of your social media channels on your website so users can easily access them.
These strategies are being implemented by many successful big brands. As a small business, it can be intimidating to see the elegant campaigns put on by big businesses. But don’t let that deter you. Taking these strategies and tailoring them to meet your small business needs is a great way to find motivation and create a killer campaign.