The small business social media blueprint

Social media is the most powerful tool for awareness in today’s digital age. Traditional media and advertising are nowhere near as effective as they used to be for growing an audience and bringing in new customers. For small businesses, it can seem daunting to use social media. For others, they may not be using it as effectively as they could.

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Social media is cost-effective in proportion to bringing in a relevant audience. Even without paying for advertising through platforms like Meta or Google, a good social media strategy is still able to connect with customers and drive sales directly through your social media pages. For small business owners, it can often feel like you have less at your disposal than bigger companies. I would argue that, for small businesses, you can often have an edge over larger organizations on social media. This article aims to demystify the process and provide actionable tips to leverage your advantage as a small business.

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First, choose the right platform for your business. If you’re serving products or services directly to customers, Meta platforms such as Facebook or Instagram are your best options to connect with your audience. If you’re operating in the B2B space, services like LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter are going to be your focus. Not all social media platforms are suitable or beneficial for the time you’ll spend on them, because as a small business, every minute counts to be as effective as it can be. Choosing the right platform ensures that you target your audience in a way that is most palatable for them.

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Secondly, make sure you are using high-quality visuals. Services like Canva or Adobe Creative Suite allow you to use templates that are eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing. The metrics show that posts with better visuals outperform those with low-quality, blurry, or otherwise poorly framed creatives. This is even more true for posts with effective video content such as Reels or TikToks. After you make your high-quality posts, stick with the process. Stay on theme and on-template or keep a visual aesthetic to your page. If you’re having trouble, consult with a digital marketing firm.

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A lot of social media marketing gurus may suggest chasing trends to capture your audience. For a small business, I would focus less on this. Growing a small business by nature is having to consistently deliver quality goods or services, and that it is no different on social media. Providing interesting content that connects with your audience every time is a more important goal than to chase the next dance trend or fun new sound on TikTok, which may seem disingenuous and position your brand to only focus on virality and growth rather than connecting with your customers.

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I mentioned earlier that small businesses have an edge over larger organizations on social media. The reason why is that a small business is more exciting to interact with than a larger one. Today’s consumer buying habits are already small business-centric, and people like to feel like they’ve gotten on early to a trend or the latest thing. They love to provide support. On social media, you can effectively give back to your customers. Create spotlights and shoutouts on your big spenders or frequent customers for your posts to validate your patrons for supporting your business. Furthermore, interact with them on your posts. Like their comments and reply to them to give them a sense of connection, and they are more likely to share your page, and by extension, your business.

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Finally, paid ads can help you capture new customers or bring back existing ones. The advertising dollar’s usefulness has expanded in the social media age, and that is because the power of digital advertising is second to none. Creating awareness campaigns to your small business’ social media pages generates buzz around your brand and brings in new customers to like your page and try out your goods or services. However, for some small businesses, spending extra on advertising is out of the question. If that’s the case, make sure to kick these previous steps into overdrive as organic social media growth is not as strong, but organic engagement with your customers through services like Facebook is extremely helpful at creating a loyal following and customer base.

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For small businesses, social media presents an incredible opportunity to grow and thrive, as well as engage your customers and build a lasting relationship with them. As mentioned before, small businesses have an advantage on social media by being more endearing to interact and connect with. Consumer buying habits lean toward brand loyalty and trust, and as a small business, you are more readily available to provide that. By following these tips and tricks, you can harness the power of social media to launch your organization into new heights.