It goes without saying that these days, social media plays a vital role in growing your business. Social media expands your customer reach, as more and more people becoming active on various social media platforms. Facebook, for instance, announced that they had 1.86 billion active monthly users as per fourth quarter of 2016. Social media offers opportunities for your small business. But how do you take advantage of social media for small business?

Decide your target audience

At a glance, social media is easy to use. But behind every post, tweet, and picture shared by business brands, there is strategy involved. Everything starts by identifying your audience; it will help you decide which social media platform is best for your specific business. For example, if you want to target teenagers, Instagram and Tumblr are great platforms. But businessmen and professionals are more likely to use LinkedIn.

Choose your presence wisely

There are many social media platforms out there. While you want to increase your online visibility, it is not recommended to create an account on every social media platform there is. Maintenance is hard work! Instead, focus and maximize up to three accounts. If you want to use Instagram or Pinterest, make sure you have access to plenty of beautiful product photography. Meanwhile, Facebook and Twitter are great for businesses that generate editorial content that can be shared via hyperlinks; you can build interaction and engagement through them too! If you want to showcase your sense of humor or a more informal side to your business, try Snapchat or YouTube.

Coordinate your social channels

Every social media platform offers different advantages, but you can’t treat each of them as a standalone. Your networks should work together to help you achieve your goals. Assuming you already have a company website, use social media to encourage people to visit your website. Share links to your blog posts so your website will get more traffic. Display social media icons on the header or sidebar of your website. Include a CTA (call to action) statement at the end of your blog posts to ask readers to follow your social media accounts. Integrate live social media feeds so the audience can see your recent activity.

Create a social media content plan

Your amazing social media content would mean nothing if nobody pays attention to it. That’s why you need to post every day, if possible. Create an editorial plan on what to post on social media. For instance, you can post a link to your blog content every two days. You can also schedule tweets 3-5 times a day. Don’t forget to welcome new followers by personally thanking them. And then increase your efforts by joining groups and communities. Try participating in more conversations and customer engagement by answering questions, posting comments, liking someone’s post, etc.

One thing you also need to remember is that timing is everything. The audience on each social media platform has different active hours. What we’re trying to say is, always do your research before curating content for your social media. Last but not least, have fun!

Related: The Best Social Media Platforms for Your Business

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