If you’re a new business then whether you like it or not, you need an online presence. It’s vital for a number of reasons which includes raising your brand awareness, keeping up with competitors and opening up new sales avenues.
Here we take a look at five great tips you need to follow to create a brilliant social media account. By the time we get to the end, you’ll have all the confidence you need to get started.
Why Social Media?
Global Webindex estimated that more than 50% of the world population use social media in 2021. That eye-watering statistic is incredible and the daily usage for individuals is well over two hours. The reasons why you need to set up social media profiles are clear.
Popular social media platforms you can use to start your business include Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok but it’s best to focus your energies on the platforms which are most relevant. An accountancy firm having a TikTok, for example, will have minimal effect. The same firm using LinkedIn is much more important.
While social media is important, you also want to know your target market. Find between three and five platforms which are going to be most useful to you. Almost always, Facebook should be one of them due to how influential it is.
How to Get Started with Social Media for Business
Set your goals
You need to decide what kind of business you want to start with the social media channel. This decision is the most crucial step as it determines the sites that'll increase the likelihood of the success of your business. When you decide the type of business, you define your audience and the best social media platforms to start your business.
For instance, if you are into beauty and skincare, your audience will be mostly young females. The best platforms that guarantee the success of your business will be TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Before you embark on your social media journey, know your demographic.
Branding and management
It would be best to have a memorable and straightforward handle, a name that automatically sticks. It would help if you got a business card too. Your branding needs to be consistent with both online and offline marketing. A business card is still a great tool for networking and you can add your social media accounts on there.
The same branding that you have one a business card or leaflet needs to be on your social media profiles. This includes a logo, color theme, tone and even your font. Be consistent and you’ll soon see customer loyalty increase.
Monitoring and management
It is one thing to start a business on social media. It’s another thing entirely to manage it and keep it running. Getting followers and friends on social media channels is great but what matters most is the engagement of social media users.
There are many big accounts out there with big followings but minimal interaction. Make sure you keep your social media content fresh and interact with your customers. Social media can also be a place to resolve disputes and avoid negative reviews.
Ratings go a long way to affect a business's success or failure on social media. The reputation of your business largely depends on recommendations and feedback from previous clients.How well you deal with negative feedback is one of the points of management because about 94% of consumers avoid a company with bad reviews. A great social media manager can put out fires before they even start.Utilize Market Trends
Use trending hashtags and keep up to date with relevant news stories. Doing this can be handy when creating video content for your audience. When users follow trending subjects, they get to check out your latest content and offers.
It’s a great way to stay fresh and relevant. You can even add a little bit of humor to your posts which is a fantastic way to get more engagement. While you should keep your tone in line with the rest of the business, don’t be afraid to add a bit of personality to your posts.
Have a Website
Although operating social media platforms are free, it takes time and effort to create a presence for your business. Once you start, you'll get a lot of direct feedback due to the real-time nature of the social media channels.
To make your clients have a personal experience with your business, you need to create a website linked to your social media accounts. A personal website will boost the credibility of your small business, improve your customer service, and help you target more customers. A great social media account is an effective way of driving traffic to your website.
Amber Hayes