Knowing how to use social media to generate business is one of the most valuable skills you can have as a business owner in today’s age of technology. While social media is an easy thing to overlook, it is actually a very powerful tool when used correctly. Social media can be used to market products and services for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Social media is a great way to find new customers and develop meaningful leads. Brands are much more likely to purchase goods and services from businesses they follow on social media. Learning to use social media will help boost your brand significantly, so we’ve considered this guide on how to use social media to generate business.
Social Media Platforms
Using a combination of social media platforms to promote your business is a great way to get your brand in front of as many people as possible. Cross promotion across different social media platforms can have a large impact on your brand recognition and lead generation. Here’s a bit more information about different social media platforms commonly used by brands:
Facebook has a large audience of over 3 billion users. This provides you with a highly varied audience of all ages and backgrounds. Facebook pages can be incredibly useful for small businesses, as you can share all of your business information, products, services, photos, videos, and more with potential and existing customers. Facebook also enables you to communicate with customers through direct messaging, providing a more individualized experience for consumers.
If you have a business facebook account, you’ll also have access to lots of different data and analytics about page interactions and page visitors. Facebook pages are also a great place to share contact information for your brand and important updates about your business.
Using Facebook to Generate Leads
While similar to Facebook, Instagram puts more of a focus on E-commerce, the sharing of visual and written content, and general business promotion. For the most part, you’ll share information about your business using photos with captions or videos. All images and videos you upload to Instagram should be high quality and visually appealing, in order to attract potential customers. If you are sharing written content about services your business offers, be sure that your captions are grammatically correct, concise, and easy to read. Instagram also offers the use of hashtags, which can help you get your posts in front of the right audience.
Twitter is a platform that allows you to make short updates of 240 characters or less about your business. Twitter can be a good tool if your brand has a strong voice and you have an interesting strategy for getting your message across using few words, but if your business is niche or doesn’t have a very strong brand voice, you may have a hard time generating success using Twitter, and it may be best to skip it as you begin your social media branding endeavors.
Pinterest is another platform that may not be best for your business, as it may appeal to a niche audience, and it can be difficult to get your content in front of the right audience without a bit of time, effort, and patience. Pinterest is a highly visual platform, with nearly no written content on the main app. However, you can use Pinterest to link to web pages or e-commerce product pages.
LinkedIn is a business networking platform that you can use to generate leads using LinkedIn Lead Gen forms, promote your business on industry specific pages, to similar business owners or to companies that may benefit from the goods and services your brand offers. LinkedIn is also a great way to establish yourself as an industry leader by posting content from your business about your industry.
What Are The Benefits of Using Social Media for Business?
The benefits of using social media to generate business include:
- Increased brand awareness
- Generate new leads
- Defined brand personality and voice
- Establishing your business as a thought leader in your industry
- Connection with similar businesses
- Management of your brand’s reputation
- Increased availability of business analytics and insights
- Increased advertising of your products or services
Small Business Social Media Best Practices
Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you be a Rockstar when it comes to running social media for your small business.
Have a Consistent Posting Schedule
Posting content consistently keeps your brand and your products at the forefront of your customers’ minds. However, it can be irritating to consumers if you post too often, so developing a regular, consistent posting schedule is an easy way to make sure you’re posting just the right amount.
Understand Your Audience
You likely have a target audience that your brand caters to, but using data and analytics built into social media platforms, you can also learn information about things such as the age, gender, and location of your audience. Knowing your audience can help you to create content for the customers you want to reach.
Arm Yourself With a Strong Social Media Marketing Strategy
While social media can be a powerful tool, it might be nothing without a high quality social media marketing strategy. If you start your social media business journey with a plan and specific goals, you’ll be much more likely to generate business using different platforms.
Still Not Sure Where to Start? Seek Expert Help!
If you’re still confused on what your social media goals are, which social media platforms to use for your business, or how social media will benefit your business, seek assistance from a digital marketing agency. Digital marketing agencies have experience using digital platforms, such as social media, to generate business for your company. Partnering with an experienced digital marketing company will open up new opportunities for your business. Looking to gain social media marketing expertise from a digital marketing agency? Contact us today to learn more about social media marketing services from Lift Digital Marketing.
