Social media for small business: 7 tips to get started

Nearly 75 percent of Americans use social media regularly, so it’s easy to see why these online platforms are an important part of your business strategy. Not only can you use social media to maintain contact with people who already love your brand, but it’s a great tool for connecting with new customers. If you want to use social media for small business marketing, rest assured  that it doesn’t have to be expensive or overwhelming.

Using social media for small business is more important than ever due to COVID-19. With fewer opportunities to engage with your customers face to face, social media can help you maintain contact from a distance.

Where should you start if you want to create a social media campaign for your small business? Follow these tips to help you get your social media project off the ground.

1. Set a goal

What is your intention with this social media campaign? You must have a clear objective if you want to measure its success. Common social media marketing goals include

  • Driving traffic to your website
  • Increasing sales
  • Advertising a specific product or service
  • Boosting brand awareness
  • Communicating with customers
  • Building an email list

Once you have a goal in mind, then you can design the social media strategy to work toward it.

2. Choose your platforms

Which social media websites are right for you? First, consider your target demographic and where they spend time online. Younger generations tend to use sites like SnapChat, Instagram, and TikTok. Older generations are more likely to spend time on Facebook.

Determine the gender and age range of your ideal customer to decide where your social media marketing will be most effective.

Don’t spread yourself too thin by posting on too many platforms. Instead, choose the best one or two websites to focus your efforts before widening your approach to others.

3. Post regularly

Creating a social media page is just the first step. Now that your business account is live, you need to come up with a publishing schedule.

Put together an editorial calendar outlining the messages you want to share in upcoming weeks and months. Consider using a scheduling tool to drip-feed the posts over time.

4. Use images and video

Simple text updates limit your potential on social media. These websites are driven by visual images, so incorporate pictures, infographics, and videos. When you use different types of media, you’ll find that you get greater audience engagement.

Remember that every picture conveys a message about your brand. Use high-quality videos and images to improve your results and help people form an emotional connection with your company.

5. Gather contact information

One way you can use social media for small business marketing is to build a contact list. Social media allows you to talk to people who take an interest in your products and services. You can drive social media traffic to an email opt-in page. Then, you can send messages to the email list to increase the likelihood that a customer will purchase your product.

Use a short contact form on your social media pages to gather customer information. Jotform offers a variety of templates, making it easy to add an opt-in form anywhere you want to gather customer information.

6. Listen to customer feedback

Social media is a two-way conversation between your business and potential customers. Listening to customer feedback is important to ensure you’re sharing content that resonates with your audience.

In the beginning, small businesses go through a trial and error period as they figure out the right message to share online. You can shortcut this process by using Jotform’s social media poll for gathering feedback from followers and customers.

7. Collaborate with influencers

Influencer collaboration can be a powerful way to market your brand effectively. Since influencers have followers who trust them, you can tap into this relationship to connect with customers. Make sure you choose the right people by finding influencers who share the same values as your brand.

Simplify this process by using Jotform’s influencer collaboration form to gather details about your influencer partners.

Using these tips will help you build a solid social media presence and reach your target demographic.

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