7 social media strategies that every small business owner should know

Martha Warner Author

Looking to maximize your business’s social media presence? Discover effective social media strategies designed for small businesses owners.

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Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

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Social media is growing rapidly every single day. It’s expected that by the end of 2023, there will be 4.89 billion social media users worldwide. That is a 6.5% increase from just a year ago.

There seems to be a new platform, new trend, or new way of doing things all the time. It can be hard to keep up with and know what to focus on. But no matter what new platform or trend pops up, these 7 social media strategies will work for small business owners and organizations.

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Determine your target audience

Before you jump into social media marketing, it's important to know who your target audience is. By understanding who your ideal customers are, you can tailor your messaging and strategies to reach and engage with them on social media. But how do you determine who your target audience is?

• Start with market research. Research information about your industry, other business owners in your field, and potential customers. Look for trends and behaviors that can help you learn who your target audience is to give you a better idea on how to develop an effective social media strategy.

• Look at your current audience. Look at the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your current customers to see commonalities. Focus on demographics like age and location but also on income level, and buying habits to pick up patterns and trends that will help you target similar customers.

• Use analytics. Review Google Analytics and social media analytics to gather data on audience behavior and engagement tendencies. Identify patterns and trends to help you better understand your target audience.

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Build a strategy

Posting randomly to social media will get you nowhere. You need to build a strategy and a plan to help you reach your goals.

A social media strategy should include:

• Goals that are realistic and tailored to fit the overall goals of your business.

• Evidence that you know your target audience and how to reach them.

• Details on platforms you will be active on.

• A clear, organized explanation of your process.

• A plan to create quality and engaging content.

• Measures for consistent tracking and reporting of stats

• A plan to reevaluate your strategy.

It is SO easy to get distracted by the latest trends on social media. A solid strategy that you can stick to will help you not only grow your business online but will make sure your efforts are targeted to your overall goals and your time doesn’t go wasted.

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Choose the right platforms

You shouldn’t be on all social media platforms. It’s not realistic, and it’s a huge waste of time. Your audience is not going to be on every single social media platform. Figure out where your audience tends to spend the most time and zero in on this platform. Make whatever platform you choose your main focus. 

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For example, if your target audience consists of 20-25 year olds, platforms like Instagram and TikTok may be a popular choice. On the other hand, if your target audience is made up of professionals, platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook may be a better fit.

By understanding your target audience and selecting the right platforms, you can be sure that your social media efforts are reaching the right people and getting the results you need. If you want to see more information about how to see where your ideal audience may be hanging out at check out this article.

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Create a consistent brand

Consistent branding is important. Your format, tone, look, and overall brand should represent your business at all times. Branding is how followers remember who you are and what your business is all about.

Creating a consistent brand includes:

• Tone of voice

• Colors

• Fonts

• Style

• Messaging

• Schedule

Consistency is key to making your profiles look professional and well put together, which can attract more followers and potential customers.

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Plan and schedule in advance

Planning and scheduling your social media content in advance really helps small business owners. By creating a content calendar and mapping out your posts ahead of time, you will save yourself time and effort. You can then instead spend time on other aspects of your business while staying consistent.

Having a plan helps you engage with your audience and strategically plan your content around important dates, events, or promotions.

There are many social media management tools available that can help you schedule your content ahead of time.

Some popular choices include:

• Meta Business Suite

• Later

• Buffer

• Planoly

• Hootsuite

Some of these tools are free and some of them have paid options. Check them out to see which one would be the best fit for your business.

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Engage with your audience

Engaging with your audience is what I live for, but it’s also an important step in your social media strategy. You will not grow your online presence as quickly or as well if you don’t respond to comments, messages, or shares.

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By being engaged with your audience, you will show them that you genuinely care that they are there and took the time to engage with your content. It helps you build trust with your audience and create relationships with potential customers. Over time, you will create a sense of community, which can lead to increased brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Make sure that you are answering messages or responding to comments in a timely manner too. It shows your audience that you are a dedicated business owner who respects their time and needs.

Sharing content from other users and encouraging your followers to share your posts can also help increase your reach and help others find your content more easily.

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Remember the analytics

One of the key strategies for small business owners on social media is to use social media analytics to track their performance and make improvements. Looking at data such as engagement rates and reach will help you get valuable insights into what is working and what needs improvement. 

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This data can help you make better decisions about your overall strategy, such as which types of content resonate most with your audience, the best times to post, and which platforms are most effective for reaching your target audience.

You should look at your analytics frequently to avoid using a strategy that isn’t working. Make sure you are getting a return on your investment of time, money, and effort by tracking your analytics. Word to continuously optimize your strategy and ensure that you are getting the most out of your social media efforts.

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Social media can seem overwhelming with the constant algorithm changes, new platforms, and trends. However, if you stick to an audience-based strategy, create consistent quality content, and engage with your followers, you will be on the right track to finding a strategy that will help your small business grow.

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Categories: : digital marketing