A Step-by-Step Guide on Using Your Social Media for Business.
May 15, 2018 by Staff
Filed under Money/Business, Tech/Internet, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) The modern world is hyper-connected, and driven by social media. If you have a business no matter how small, or large, then you should have the right social media in place to help you get maximum exposure and networking opportunities. However, many people get overwhelmed with jargon and misinformation about the platforms and how they can implement a great strategy in a one-person business. You don’t need to know the algorithms behind each social media platform to use them effectively, nothing as numerically challenging as bitcoin analysis, instead you can skip the numbers and focus on creating engaging content – that you are proud of and that speaks to your potential customers.
Here is a step-by-step (no fluff) guide.
Identify your target audience. Who are you talking to when you post your content. You have probably done some demographic research and if not, you know who your services and products are purchased by, use that knowledge to tailor your content to speak to them.
Clean up your message. Try to steer clear of jargon, be direct. What is it you do, what is it you can do for your audience. What makes you unique?
Think about what your goal is. When you use your social media, use it for a purpose. Do you want more sales? Or do you want to build a great e-mail list filled with sales leads? Make your language reflect what you want. Balance out your sales posts with conversational posts. A mix of the two will keep your audience engaged.
Have a look at some of the tools available to help you streamline your social media use. You don’t need to be posting on all platforms. You should focus on the ones you enjoy using and the ones that you have the largest audience on. Software like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Social Oomph have free scheduling options. Meaning you can create content and have it shared across all of your social media accounts from one place.
What type of content do you like to see? When you use social media, there will be some content that you enjoy seeing, or that you spend the time to watch or comment on. What makes that content stand out? Can you implement some of the technique on your platforms?
Do you have a budget to get someone to manage your social media or do you want to do it yourself? There are plenty of freelancers who can handle a social media account beautifully, and don’t cost the earth. If you find that you are struggling then consider outsourcing.
Social media can be a really powerful tool in your arsenal and for the most part is free to use, and you can run very successful campaigns with just a few hours of investment per week. Just remember that if you are posting link after link to your services you are likely to lose out on sales rather than gain them. Keep your content fresh, conversational, and open, and you’ll convert followers to sales, and sales to loyal customers in no time at all.
Staff Writer; Larry Day