What should small businesses post on social media (a complete guide)?

Jul 13 / 2021

Social media has become an essential part of a business marketing strategy. Whether they are a small local shop or a big multinational, companies budget massive amounts for social media marketing.

It has particularly been a big boon to small businesses and has leveled the marketing divide between large and small businesses. Earlier, small businesses could not hope to compete with bigger companies when it came to advertising. But now, with the advent of easy-to-use and budget-friendly tools that social media platforms offer, small businesses can compete equally and sometimes even more effectively than bigger companies.

Social media platforms help small businesses in many ways. It helps them connect with their customers, helps increase awareness about brands and products, and boost leads and sales effectively. More than three billion people worldwide use social media every month, and the numbers keep growing. This means that a small business’s social media marketing audience keeps getting larger every day.

Tips to effectively use social media to promote your small business

Your small business’s social media marketing strategy should be multi-pronged. It should offer information, pique interest, tease and be interactive. It should be varied enough to catch and hold a viewer’s interest and keep them coming back for more. Here are some tips for using your social media effectively.

Make an excellent first impression

Your social media platforms should make your audience sit up, take notice, and not pass by without visiting. The first impression needs to be eye-catching.

Draw your viewer’s eye in with your logo, banner, and profile pictures. Every so often, change the images to renew interest.

Your bio or information should include the type of business you own, the services you provide, and the products you have. It should highlight the business’s specialties and explain why your product is a must-have.

The information that is provided in the bio should be current. If there are any new products or new information on your services or a policy change, make sure that it is updated on the bio immediately.

Make it visually appealing

As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.“

People tend to scroll through social media platforms. One of the best ways to arrest a viewer’s wandering eye is to post striking pictures that will catch the interest of your audience.

You can share pictures of projects you have done, before and after series, a series of images on projects in the making, etc. Make sure that you do not use stock images from the net. If the viewer realizes that these are not pictures of your business, it leaves a wrong impression.

Read Also: The Importance of Customer Engagement in Social Media Management

Make your content interesting

Social media content differs from other content in that it has to be simple and exciting. Once the viewer is drawn in with the picture, the content should help hold the interest. Some tried and tested tips to make interesting posts include:

Share anecdotes

Yes, you are a business, and you need to offer information on your products and services. But, that does not mean that you make your page an unending stream of spam for your company. Instead, share stories of your company and its activities. You could share anecdotes of a typical workday, an amusing incident, or an interaction with a customer. You could involve your audience in the story by asking them for similar incidents or situations.

Create infographics

An infographic is a marriage of pictures and words. A good infographic catches the eye while imparting information. It should be simple, and it should be clear. It should contain just enough content to be interesting but not too much to overwhelm. Some kinds of graphics that viewers enjoy are “How to do” graphics, “DIY” graphics, and “Did You Know” graphics.

Provide industry information

Share what is new in your particular field and add your thoughts on it. Give useful links to articles and blogs on innovations and trends in your industry. Protect your customers’ interests by busting industry myths and exposing scams and frauds prevalent in your field. This will build your viewer’s trust in you and your business.

Offer general information

If your content is only about your business, it can get monotonous after a while. Share local information on events happening in your neighborhood that week and helpful tips. You could also post exciting videos and links to ignite curiosity and cause your viewer to click to know more.

Make it interactive

Audiences enjoy feeling involved. Create posts that elicit responses, like quizzes and questions where the viewer is prompted to answer. The to and fro interaction will not only keep your post coming up on top but will pique the curiosity of others.

Individualize your content

Many businesses have a presence across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, GMB, etc. They are usually linked to one another. Make sure that you individualize your posts across the platforms. Otherwise, you run the risk of duplicating over different platforms.

Make your content personal

People like to feel that they know you. This helps build their trust in you and your business. Share events that happened in your office or your factory. Introduce employees, share pictures, and offer interesting anecdotes about them.

You can even make it more personal and include pictures of family and friends in your workspace. It helps give viewers the feeling of a family-run, trustworthy company.

Celebrate important milestones that happen in your business as well as personal ones like birthdays and anniversaries. Some social media platforms offer an events tab for this. After the celebrations, remember to post the pictures.

Share pictures and stories of what happens behind the scenes in your business. People love bloopers, and the funnier, the better.

You can post your thoughts for different world or national days like Environmental Day, Employee’s Day, etc. Wish your followers all kinds of festivals and religious holidays with pictures, posts, and motivational words. If you come across inspiring quotes, funny memes, or an adorable video, post it occasionally. It will liven up your platform.

Start a complementary blog, vlog, and a podcast

Create a blog or a vlog and add the links to your social media platform. One big reason blogs are a must for an excellent social media marketing strategy is that blogs can be peppered with keywords that can increase the traffic to your website. The ideal is that your social media platform should entice viewers to read your blog or watch your vlog, which in turn will direct them to your website.

As with a picture, a video is much more alluring than an article. This is why companies are investing money in making small but effective vlogs on topics related to their niche.

A new entrant is a podcast that is all the rage these days. You can make podcasts related to your field and include interactive sessions with employees, partners, customers, and related professionals to make it more interesting.

Let your clients speak for you

Reviews are an important tool for any business. It is a fact that most people go through the reviews of a company before deciding whether to employ their services. Ask your clients to share reviews of you on their social media page and tag you. You can repost the review on your page. If you can get well-known people to endorse you, that can be a real crowd-puller to your social media business page. Remember, video testimonials make a bigger impact.

Bring it back to business

Your social media platform is aimed at promoting your business. Make sure that all roads lead back to your business. Use a call to action to help your viewers get in touch with you. Make sure that all your social media platforms are linked, and direct messages are answered immediately. If you cannot help them, give them useful information on who can. This is always a good way to build rapport.

Get started on an effective social media strategy

The world is moving away from traditional marketing and into the world of social media marketing at a fast pace. It is important to keep up with changing trends and use them effectively to further your business needs. With an effective social media marketing strategy, you can increase your traffic, acquire leads, and effectively turn leads into loyal customers.