When it comes to small business marketing, a strong social media presence is a must. From reaching new clientele, advertising your business, interacting with your audience, and sharing your story with the world, social media is a great tool. However there are a few tips and tricks that must be taken into account in order to fully capitalize on the time spent on your social media accounts.
1. Don't forget your bio.
The bio on your social media accounts is your chance to make a good first impression. It should be clean, clear, and tell people what your business is. Think of it as your elevator pitch to the internet. Don’t be afraid to have fun with it either but always take into account your brand and stay true to what your company stands for. Some good features to include in your bio are a link to your website, the location of your business, and what it is your business does or is known for. The bio is a name tag for your business and can make a huge impact on potential customers so make it a good impact.
2. Don't use links on Instagram
Links can be great on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms but you should avoid using them in the captions on your Instagram page. Links will not hyperlink in captions so it is best to remove them completely from the descriptions of your images and your stories. Putting dead links, or links that don’t work, in your captions can also create an unprofessional impression. Instead, put the link you want to promote in your bio and then drive the audience to your profile to follow the link form there. A simple “follow the link in our bio” is all it takes and it creates more exposure to your bio and other content on your page.
3. Don't forget to tag
Think of tagging people, businesses, and accounts as free exposure. It is a super simple way to promote your business to a wider audience. On instagram, a tagged post or story can be shared directly to the story and post of the tagged person and therefore can spread your account to everyone they follow. This concept continues on Facebook where tagged pictures and posts can be seen by the friends of the tagged person. This will increase your reach as a business and help to establish personal connections with your customers. You can also use tags to interact directly with your audience. So don’t forget to tag the people in your pictures and posts.
4. Don't leave out hashtags
Hashtags are also free exposure for your business and the posts you attach them to. Hashtags act as a label for your content and makes it easier for people who are interested in certain topics to find content related to that topic. When using hashtags, they should be relevant and simple. You don't want to use too many hashtags either. Two or three hashtags per post is a good rule of thumb to follow if you are in doubt. Hashtags will make your content easier to find and also increase the amount of people who could potentially see your posts.
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In your small business, social media is an essential tool for reaching and connecting with your audience and customers. Just like any tool, it is most effective when used in the intended way. Avoiding these few social media don’ts can help you make the most of your accounts and the time you invest in them.
