The sooner you become active on social media, the better – there are many opportunities and all it really requires is time and dedication.
Social media marketing allows small businesses to attract new customers and engage with current customers, turning them into repeat customers. It is a great platform to leverage to generate additional income for your business, however, many SME owners avoid social media because they do not believe they have the budget necessary for an effective campaign.
While things like Facebook ads and paid promotions require a monetary investment, there are several ways to harness the power of social media without spending any money.
Today, small businesses simply cannot afford to ignore social media. There are several reasons why your business needs social media marketing, and the number one reason is that It's where your customers are.. Facebook has more than 2,19 billion monthly active users and Instagram is growing rapidly, with estimates close to one billion users.
Here are six ways you can use social media to help your small business grow at no cost.
1.- Use automation to ensure consistency.
One of the hardest things about social media marketing is be consistent. You can't post every day for a week and then take a month-long break. You should develop a posting schedule and stick to it, whether it's several times a day, once a day, three times a week, or even weekly.
Every business will have different requirements for the amount of content they will need to post on social media. “The easiest way to make sure you stay consistent is to use the automation. There's a lot tools and software that will allow you to create a calendar of content in advance and schedule Facebook posts, tweets and Instagram posts in advance. Spending a couple of hours to plan the next 30 days of social media content helps you maintain a consistent presence across all social media platforms,” advises Anthony Gilbert of The RealFX Group.
There are many paid tools, but for those small businesses on a tight budget, Hootsuite offers a free plan which allows you to manage three social profiles. This is a great option for those looking to benefit from automation without having to spend money.
2.- Cross promotion with other local companies.
One of the most effective ways to grow your business is by networking with other business owners. Establishing mutually beneficial ways to promote other local businesses through others' social networks can help boost instant sales.
"Cross-promotion on social media accomplishes a few things. It can help introduce your business to local consumers who might not have known it existed, and it can help spread the word about a special offer by expanding reach, helping to drive sales and inject revenue into your business almost instantly.”
Having other local businesses distribute a coupon code or special offer can generate instant online sales or foot traffic, depending on your offer. Most small businesses will be more than happy to cross-promote as long as they are not direct competitors.
3.- Encourage user-generated content.
This is one of the easiest ways to get your current customers to promote your business on social media. Every client has access to a new, untapped audience and with a little creativity can get your business introduced to them at no cost.
"The easiest way to generate user-generated content is to create a special hashtag and then ask your customers to use it when posting images on social media related to your product or service. Then, constantly search for that hashtag and repost the content, making sure to tag the customer in the new post.”
The concept is very simple, really. Consumers love when they are selected and mentioned by a company on social media. As you share more user-generated content on social media, will cause a snowball effect and will result in more people using the designated hashtag, as it will also They will want to appear on your social networks.
4.- Develop a brand voice and interact with your customers.
Social media gives you the opportunity to create a brand voice and engage with those searching for the product or service you offer. “Consumers will always choose a business they connect with. “Social media allows you to build that relationship, which instills the trust required for them to move forward and become customers.”
Social media is where most consumers go when they have a question or want to research a business. If they see an active social media presence that constantly engages with your customers, it makes them more confident as consumers, knowing that questions, if they arise in the future, will be answered. All small businesses should have a business page on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They must also have social media profiles.
5.- Analyze the analytical data of each platform and adjust them accordingly.
There are analytics available for all social media platforms, and when used correctly, they allow you to really improve your marketing efforts.
“Facebook business accounts provide a wealth of analytical data, just like business profiles on Instagram, and Twitter also gives you access to useful information. When you take the time to really understand the data, it can help you focus on what's working and eliminate what's not leading to sales. While it may be overwhelming at first, you should dive in and familiarize yourself with each platform's analytics dashboard. Spend time educating yourself and you will see your social media marketing results skyrocket.”
Once you become familiar with social analytics, you can link your Google Analytics and create goals, which you can then track in your social media traffic. For example, you might discover that Facebook is responsible for 80 percent of your sales generated on social media, while Twitter generates none. By focusing more on Facebook and eliminating Twitter, you can scale your growth simply by focusing on what works.
6.- Make all team members part of your internal social media team.
Not every small business has the luxury of a full-time social media manager, but that doesn't mean you can't handle the task in-house. “Create a social media “takeover” calendar and assign responsibility to a different team member daily. “Not only does this keep your social media accounts active, but it also gets everyone involved and helps create a much stronger team environment,” suggests Tim Johnson of Inkfactory.com.
You can even create internal contests and award prizes to those who generate the most shares, likes, comments, or even sales. This helps stimulate creativity, and the end result is stronger social media content.
