Social media… some people love it, some people hate it, but the reality is over 3.78 billion people use social media daily (48% of the total population of the planet). When utilized for business, social media is a great (and often free) platform for advertising. Here are some tips for getting started with social media in your business:
- Know who and where your audience is
Different platforms attract different audiences. Facebook is the largest platform, but Instagram is nipping at its heels, drawing a younger and more international audience. Twitter is in the moment and draws an audience looking for interaction. LinkedIn draws a professional audience and is great for targeting businesses and business people. If joining multiple platforms sounds overwhelming, start with the one your audience is most likely to be on.
- Create a strategy for each social media platform
Be consistent with your posting and try to post daily. Social media requires consistency to be successful, due to the algorithms it uses. If being on social media daily sounds daunting, take advantage of free or cheap social media management tools. Canva is a great free resource for creating content, and HubSpot, Hootsuite, or Monday.com are each a great place to start for auto/planned posting.
- Keep an eye on what’s trending
Has something gone viral that you can play into? Keep an eye on what’s trending and when opportunity arises, jump into the fun.
- Use videos
People love watching videos. Creating short and informational videos ranks higher in algorithms and are more popular with audiences. Canva, TikTok, or Adobe Spark are great places to start for learning how to make videos.
- Join communities
Communities are small groups where people with similar interests like (digitally) hanging out. Are you a lab technician or dentist that loves cooking? There’s a group for that. Are you looking for feedback on trending topics in our industry? There’s a group for that. Are you looking for support for your new technologies? There are groups for that too. Find a group that aligns with you and be active.
- Interact with your audience
Social media is built for engagement. The more you can get your audience to engage with you and you respond, the higher you rank in the algorithms.
- Be authentic
People like to talk to people, not computers. Don’t use the same automated words when interacting; customize your message to your audience. Don’t be afraid to show your personality or your business’s personality through your posts and comments.
- Tag other businesses
If you are a dentist and your lab makes a really great product, tag your lab. If you are a lab, tag your dentists. Also, tag your favorite product manufacturers. Tagging other businesses is a great way to praise others, and you never know what businesses may start promoting you, too. By tagging, you also grow your audience, as audiences for both businesses see the posts.
- Involve your team
You likely have a very talented team! Find someone in your office who loves taking pictures or being on social media and have them work with you. Ask your team to contribute their work - it’s a great way to praise those who work with you. Content is everywhere and your team can help you see that.
- Measure and analyze results
Each platform offers free analytics. Take some time once a week or once a month to review those analytics. This will allow you to see the results of your efforts and pivot if necessary.
Let us know in the comments which one strategy you can start with today?
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