[ 26 January 2023 ]

Brendan Haggerty

To Use Social Media or Not. Is That The Question?

Oh boy. Social media is a lot.

But it is still an excellent way to promote your business, stay front of mind to existing customers (and possible referral sources), and reach new customers. So while one could debate or certainly question social media use and abuse over the last ten years, one thing remains clear. It is not going away.

The question of whether it is worth the investment is a good one. One that a lot of small business owners tend to ponder. Should I have social media for my business, and what would I use it for?

That question can be as varied as the type of business you have. For example, if you have a restaurant or bar, your use would be very different from an attorney or AC repair company. But in all those instances, having a social media strategy is a good investment for small businesses.

Here are a few ideas and examples:

Cost-effective marketing: Let’s talk about cost. Social media doesn’t cost anything but a bit of time and effort. Tools like Buffer and Hootsuite (both have free plans) can take the trouble out of planning, scheduling, and monitoring. Develop your plan, create all your posts on a Thursday afternoon, load them up and push go. You can use tools like Canva (free) to design your posts like the Influencer you will soon become.

Building brand awareness: The one thing that you can achieve is building your brand awareness and creating a solid online presence. Your social media strategy starts with posting content regularly (see above), interacting with your followers, and working to gain new followers. This grows your audience and builds your brand. There are critical strategies for building new followers for each social media channel.

Increase website traffic: Social media can also drive traffic to your website. Please ensure that your website is functioning and up to date so that new visitors get the best experience and your site tells the story you want to be told. Have an offer for new followers (if your business can do that) or run a contest (again, if this aligns with your business). Get creative and work out ways to use social media to drive traffic.

Test out targeted advertising: Social media platforms offer a variety of tools to help businesses target specific demographics with relatively low-priced advertising. Yes, prices have increased over the years, but it is still very affordable and entirely within your control in terms of budget. Also, nowhere else can you target location, age, interests, behavior, and more. So one quick idea is to advertise to people who visit your website.

Improve customer engagement: Social media allows businesses to interact directly with customers and address any questions or concerns. This helps to improve customer engagement and satisfaction and provides valuable feedback for companies to enhance their products or services. Depending on your business, building an online “tribe” can go a long way to improving your business reputation and results.

If you have thought you should look at using social media more (or at all) but are unsure where to start or what to do, please schedule a time and let’s brainstorm.