This year, a successful business will have a strong marketing strategy that listens to its customers and spend budgets effectively. Whether there is a pandemic or not, marketing your business on social media platforms can only benefit you if you use the budget properly.
Here are some tips for small businesses who are eager to improve their exposure through social media platforms this year. And while most of these trends are nothing new, learning how to master them will be the golden ticket to becoming marketing mavens.
According to social trends research in 2022 by Hootsuite, the smartest brands in 2022 will engage into creator communities to understand more about customers, simplify content creation and build brand awareness and affinity.
1. Put “social listening” into practice.
“Social listening” involves analysing who’s talking about your business and what they’re saying. It is a critical tool for effective marketing. Social listening isn’t just about monitoring data (shares, likes and engagement) around your business, but actively listening and interpreting people’s conversations about your products and services, along with your industry as a whole. Once you know what people ask, you can develop a stronger marketing strategy.
If you’re using various social media platforms, how can you monitor all the excitement about your business? Several businesses provide social listening tools that collect data every time your business, industry or a relevant phrase is mentioned online. Some companies offer basic plans for free, while others charge hundreds of dollars. Do your research to find the right tool for you based on the budget your business allocates for social media marketing.
2. Invest in paid advertising
Small businesses’ frustrations in Facebook and Instagram (which was purchased by Facebook in 2012) marketing have grown, but these platforms aren’t going away anytime soon. Facebook had a whopping 2.9 billion monthly active users in 2021, and according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, 200 million businesses (mostly small businesses) use the sites’ free tools to reach customers.
However, unless the Instagram algorithm works in your favour — which it won’t if you don’t have thousands of followers who regularly engage with your content — you’ll have to spend money to sell on these platforms. The average organic reach for a Facebook post is 5.2%, meaning “only 5% of your followers may ever see your posts if you don’t put any paid budget behind them.” Paid advertising is easy to budget, but the more money you spend, the more likely your content will be seen.
3. Hire influencers
Influencers have made a lot of noise in recent years — the industry is worth roughly $14 billion by 2021 — and they’re here to stay.
Each influencer has their own set of rules and fees, but if you want to work with a creator, it’s wise to budget ahead of time. The days of exchanging free goods and services for a shoutout on Instagram are well behind us, although some influencers might still be open to it. Most collaborations, especially for small businesses, require some sort of payment to the creators.
However, how do you collaborate with creators who have tens of thousands of followers? You have to find your niche and find a creator who has the same niche. From Potter-Heads to fashionistas, there’s an influencer out there for every kind of business. You can use some platforms that can connect you with creators, or you can try your luck reaching out via email or direct message.
4. Join TikTok now!
We hope that you have created the TikTok video since last year. Because the 5-year-old social media site have 1 billion monthly active users in 2021, making it the fastest-growing social platform ever.
Many small businesses leverage TikTok and gain success from it. For instance, many businesses ended up going viral after they created a video using a popular song on TikTok. As a result, the business saw a huge boost in sales afterwards.
What becomes viral on TikTok is entirely up to the algorithm gods, but experts advise using various hashtags, crafting videos with trending songs and keeping videos short yet captivating.
As well as creating video, influencer marketing is just as “influential” on TikTok. Sometimes all it takes is one person raving about your product to go viral.
5. Leverage the ever-changing technology
Social media platforms certainly provide tools to help you accomplish your job more efficiently, but you must know about them first.
For eCommerce, Instagram has made all sponsored posts shoppable within the app, allowing users to purchase a product just by clicking on them in a tagged photo. TikTok has begun testing for in-app purchases, too.
Recently, Twitter announced Super Follow, a monetised feature where users can charge followers in exchange for exclusive content. The feature is intended primarily for activists, journalists, gamers and creators on the platform. The company also offers Spaces, a platform where you can host live audio-only conversations, along with Ticketed Spaces, where you can charge people for tuning in to these live events. LinkedIn also hopped on the WFH bandwagon and started facilitating live video streams.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a small eCommerce business, a fitness instructor or a new publisher; there is a tool out there for you. It’s only a matter of getting acquainted and comfortable with the resources.
How we can help
As a business owner, it is important to engage with your prospect and existing customers on several platforms to let them discover your business. There are a variety of platforms available, each with its own set of adjustments and updates. And every now and then, a new platform or strategy appears to be dubbed the next great thing. Trying to keep up with them is difficult, especially when you’re running your own business every day. Why not contact Top4 Marketing‘s social media experts? Allow us to manage your social media accounts, and we’ll increase your company’s online presence and revenue. If you don’t already have one, we’ll create a social media campaign to get your most relevant clients to your website! Please give us a call!
To find out how we can help you with your Website + Marketing, using our unique location marketing platform called Top4, get in touch today at www.top4marketing.com
Looking to build customer loyalty through social media? Don’t forget to add your business to Top4.global
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