Every small business has a unique voice and a specific target audience they want to reach. Knowing precisely how to target your audience and where you can find them online can make it easier to connect at little to no cost. One of the best marketing tactics that businesses can use to reach audiences is social media. Identifying where your audience spends their time can help you get the most from your campaigns.
Here, we breakdown seven of the most popular social media channels and discuss what makes them ideal for your small business marketing strategy.
One distinguishing feature that's especially beneficial for businesses is that Facebook lets you interact directly with your customers. This enables you to get real-time feedback from them and, in turn, allows you to respond with personalized replies.
You also get many benefits with Facebook ads. The platform gives you access to in-depth reports and analytics for clear insight into your campaigns' performance. You can even micro-target your ads to reach hyper-specific audiences. Additionally, you'll have full control over campaigns based on your budget and designated timeframe.
LinkedIn is particularly good for press releases or general promotions. You can also use it to establish both you and your business as thought leaders in your industry.
Twitter ads are also highly successful for many businesses, with ad revenue up 15% and engagement up 27% as of Q3 2020, according to a recent Twitter report. Like Facebook ads, they allow you to reach the exact audience you have in mind.
Instagram is an excellent tool for connecting with younger audiences, including Gen Z and younger Millennials, as 67% of adults between ages 18 to 29 use the platform. If you want to boost sales, Instagram is currently moving directly into eCommerce to attract people who make purchases on mobile devices. To further promote your brand and offerings using influencer marketing, Instagram gives you access to many world-famous and micro-influencers alike to connect with local to global audiences.
The ROI of Pinterest is also among the highest, with some businesses increasing revenue through the platform by as much as 173%.
Depending on your business and industry, you may be able to leverage Reddit to lend expertise to people seeking advice. Some possible topics you could develop thought leadership around might include home construction, crafts or even professional leadership.
You can use YouTube for videos and video ads, both of which feature their own advantages. For example, with videos you post on your profile, you can interact with customers via comments and have more control over the conversation. At the same time, ads can expose your brand to those who might not otherwise see your channel's videos.
Instructional videos are often the most successful for businesses on this platform, as they demonstrate significant expertise that leads people to do business with you.
When developing a small business social media strategy, it's best to avoid putting your brand on every platform at once. Instead, find out where your customers are and focus on those few platforms, which will help increase local brand awareness and foot traffic.
To get even more exposure through social media and build trust among your audiences, consider working with a verified source like a local news station. A local media partner can help produce high-quality video content that you can use for social media. They can even develop videos that work better for each platform, i.e. an instructional video for YouTube and a shorter one with closed captioning for Facebook. With the right strategy behind your campaigns, you'll be able to use social media to reach your marketing goals.