In this day and age, every small business should have a social media presence. Social media is no longer just for reaching customers and increasing your contacts list, but also crucial for maintaining a professional and reliable business image to stay competitive in the business market.
So here are some strategies for using social media to grow your small business.
Engage with audience
With over 81% of Small and Medium sized businesses (SMBs) using social media, it is imperative to set your business apart from the competition. A great way to do that is to engage your audience and build good rapport with existing customers. The fastest way to turn away potential clients is by focusing primarily on your product. Rather than forcing your product, create conversations centered on your audience. Ask your followers questions and talk to them about what interests them. Pay attention to what they are saying and be open. Carry on a conversation with them that would inspire curiosity and action. The best kind of free marketing is through referrals and a business that is responsive and appears human, encourages followers to share positive feedback and recommend/endorse your business.
Create brand awareness
Social media is a great tool for increasing brand visibility and marketing your product. Use your social media outlets as a launch pad for blog posts, contests offering free prizes, or announcements relating to your industry. Conduct surveys and host tweet chats with professionals and guest bloggers. Build a brand personality and captivate your audience.
Share unique and relevant content
Capture your audience’s attention by sharing relevant content to their interests. Focus your efforts on communicating topics that peak their curiosity or help answer questions that they could relate to your business. Industry hot topics, news, and factual stories are some ideas to get the ball rolling. An example would be for a VoIP provider like Voxox, to address key issues in the VoIP space and provide up-to-date stories that would interest VoIP buyers.
Monitor competitors
In order to stay ahead, it’s important to see what your competitors are doing. Pay attention to what kind of campaigns they are running or what their customers are saying about the business. Follow the topics they are posting on and create a plan around that. Identify what’s working for their business, then modify it and apply it to yours. There are tools like Twitter Counter that tracks growth and can help your business compare goals and results.
Social media should be utilized for more than a vehicle for pushing your product. Aside from lead generation, it could also help build a good relationship with customers, and be used as a voice to share your business’s unique brand personality. These social media tips can help your business grow and get the leg up on your competition.
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