How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business
10 social media for business statistics you should know:
1. 54% of social browsers use social media to research products. (GlobalWebIndex)
2. 93% of social media advertisers use Facebook ads on a regular basis. (Social Media Examiner)
3. 63% of people say they have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in Instagram stories. (Instagram)
4. 90% of weekly pinners use Pinterest to make purchase decisions
5. 44% of local businesses say they depend on social media to generate brand awareness, and 41% depend on it to drive revenue. (Buffer)
6. 74% of consumers share video content from brands on social media. (SocialSprout)
7. Live video is becoming a vital tool for social marketers, and 42% of them have already developed a strategy for Facebook Live. (SocialSprout)
8. More than 1 in 3 online users say they go to social media when looking for more information about a brand or a product. (Small Business Trends)
9. 49% of consumers say they depend on recommendations from social media influencers to help with their purchasing decision. (Oberlo)
10. Almost 90% of marketers say their social marketing efforts have increased exposure for their business, and 75% say they’ve increased traffic. (Buffer)
In this blog post I cover how you can use social media to promote your business and build your brand’s online presence:
1. Create a social media plan.
2. Decide which platforms you want to focus your attention on.
3. Post for a reason.
4. Engage with your community.
5. Monitor your metrics.
1. Create a Social Media Plan
Think about your social media plan like it’s the foundation to your house.
The purpose of a foundation is to hold up and hold together your house. Your house being the end result that people see aka your social media assets and accounts.
Sure, the foundation might not be the “pretty” or “fun” part, but it’s paramount.
Like any marketing plan, you should always set goals.
Once you’ve defined your goals and objectives, create types of social media posts and content that support those causes.
For example, if you one of your goals is to grow brand awareness, you might consider using your logo in the majority (if not all) of your social media posts.
To take it a step further, you might want to leverage contests or giveaways with social media influencers.
All contests and giveaways have guidelines to follow upon entry, the most popular being to follow the account hosting the contest.
Within your social media plan make sure you also describe your posting schedule or how frequently you plan on posting.
2. Decide which platforms you want to focus your attention on.
You might think you need to be active and present at all times on every single social media platform.
For starters, that’s just not realistic.
Secondly, there are niche platforms that might make more sense for your brand.
Start by analyzing your options. Where do your customers hangout?
It wouldn’t make sense to go in heavy on your LinkedIn presence when your audience is hanging out on Instagram and LiketoKnowit. You see what I mean?
You need to make sure your efforts are being invested in the right places.
This is why brands that understand their buyer persona and the people they’re selling to win.
Lucky for you, I have a buyer persona template to better position your business.
3. Post for a reason.
A good rule of thumb, when it comes to posting is quality over quantity.
Keep in mind, quality doesn’t necessarily mean the best graphics and videos.
If your posts don’t have a purpose, you’re serving your community empty content.
If you want to learn how to construct a high-quality social media post, read 3 things to include in every social media post.
4. Engage with your community.
Social media is about being social, connecting with others and actively engaging with your online communities.
If you’re serious about growing your social media presence, I would recommend spending 15-30 minutes per day on engagement alone.
Picture you’re having a conversation with a friend or acquittance and instead of listening to what they’re saying and providing your input and response, you only speak when you want to.
You only speak when your agenda calls for it.
You only speak on the topics you want to cover.
Yawn. That’s going to get old. Fast.
This is why being present and actively engaging with other social media accounts, influencers, and brands is important.
Even more important, engaging with authenticity.
Remember, actions speak louder.
5. Monitor your metrics.
Social media metrics provide decision-making insights.
By tracking and measuring your metrics, you’ll know whether your current social media strategy is accomplishing the goals and objectives you have set or whether you’ll need to pivot to a new strategy.
Monitoring your metrics is especially critical when it comes to A/B Testing.
If you’re wondering how you can take your social media or digital marketing content to the next level, I’ve constructed a list of 23 A/B tests you can conduct today.
Summary
Nearly 60% of the world’s total population uses the internet, while social media users have passed the 3.8 billion mark. (WeAreSocial)
With the daily time spent on social media in the U.S. exceeding two hours, it’s critical your business create an effective social media strategy.
Social media marketing helps amplify your brand when you have a plan, focus your attention on the most important platforms for your business, post for a reason, engage with your community, and monitor your metrics.