When you own a business, it’s not enough to have just a website; now, there’s an expectation that one must be everywhere at once. This is why being on social media is extremely important for marketing a small business. It may seem time-consuming, but in the long run, an active presence on social media can give several avenues to finding new customers, create a community for your business and strengthen your overall brand.

With so many platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and more, getting started on social media can be daunting. In this blog, we provide 6 essential tips that you can apply to any social media platform you choose.

1. Use Visuals

Use creative visuals to maximize exposure for your business. Instagram is a great platform that shows the influence of visuals. According to Social Media Today, “in 2017, Instagram announced that approximately 800 million people now use the platform each month.” When it comes to images and visuals, bright colors and movement in videos like Boomerangs are especially eye-catching.

2. Use Videos

Speaking of moving visuals, videos are another important thing you should use in social media. Whether it be through Youtube, Instagram live or Facebook live, embrace the world of video marketing and the power to engage an enthusiastic audience. An overwhelming number of people prefer video to anything else in terms of being marketed to. According to Inc. “YouTube is the best video marketing platform to engage the audience through DIY videos, explainer videos, video tutorials, testimonials, and behind the scene videos.”

Video gives you yet another avenue to access your target demographic. Try giving a behind-the-scenes look at your business or a free tutorial about your product. You can also engage people with a video post about a featured employee. Regardless of what you choose, video is a great way to make your business more personable.

3. Engage With Others

]Don’t just post to social media and leave it at that – engage with your audience by liking and responding to comments across all platforms. For example, on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, you can retweet or repost a successful customer review. This will show that you care about your customers and also incentivize them to write another positive review the next time they use your services. It’s gestures like this that will take your social media presence to the next level.

Another important aspect for gaining engagement is using hashtags or tagging people/brands in your posts. It’s essential that you use the right hashtags for your business. If you are a marketing business, a hashtag like #beautifulday may get your post some likes and possibly a few followers, but not necessarily the followers you want. A better hashtag could be #marketingmonday. This will more likely gain the interest of those who are in the marketing business or those interested in marketing services.

4. Know Your Target Demographic

Social media, like any other marketing tool, requires careful analysis. Ask yourself, who are you looking to reach? What age range, what gender, what interests them? Whatever it is, there is a social media channel for you, and it’s important to use the one that will serve your target audience best.

Times Union stated that “according to a recent Pew Research Center report about 62% of online adults ages 65 and older now use Facebook, a 14-point increase from the 48% who reported doing so in 2015.” As for the younger demographic, “Among the other social platforms including Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, the highest concentration of users is still in the 18 to 29-year-old range.” This demonstrates that more and more people, regardless of the demographic, can be reached through social media.

5. Stay Consistent

Keeping a consistent posting schedule is key to social media. Once people expect regular social media content from your brand, you must follow through. It’s also important to have cohesion throughout all of your social media channels. Use the same logo for all platforms, the same writing voice when responding to comments, and the same color scheme for all platforms because you’re establishing your brand via social media. When people see your brand’s colors or logo they should immediately know it’s you.

When people see our bright blue logo, they know it’s BrandRep. We also make it a point to emphasize that we are a Google Certified Partner because that is an essential part of our brand that separates us from the competition. Make sure you emphasize what makes your business unique across all platforms!

6. Always Give Value

Showing what makes you unique is important because ultimately, you want to show customers that your business offers them value. Remember to prioritize quality over quantity when posting to social media. You can have a million posts, but if they don’t have a purpose or offer value to people, they won’t engage with your business.

BrandRep uses posting as an opportunity to advertise and give helpful tips to current and potential customers. For example, we created a post showing customers that with the help of BrandRep, you have the potential for more customers and reviews on Google. This gives people valuable information and promotes our services.

Social media may seem like a big beast to tackle, but with these 6 essential tips, you’ll be well on your way to using social media to grow your business. Which of these tips did you find most helpful?