How Social Media Can Help Your Small Business Grow

The world has moved on from traditional mediums of sale to include the more dynamic medium of the internet. Everything is ‘instant’ today. With smartphones in every palm we have the world at our fingertips.

Naturally, for businesses big or small, it has become essential to leverage this highly potent medium of social media to connect with new customers, build and maintain their brand presence and, above all, to offer value to their clients and build nourishing long-standing relationship with them.

Here, we will discuss a few points on how to help your small business grow using social media as the number one platform for marketing and communication.

Select the proper platform

There’s almost an endless number of social networking sites that exist in the cyber landscape in almost every recognised language in the world today. So getting started with social media would require you to conduct a thorough planning. The most crucial part of this is to select the best 3 platforms to work on.

Now, undoubtedly Facebook rules the popularity chart with a whopping 1.4 Billion user base (as of  2019). So you must consider including Facebook as the primary platform of online communication for your business. Twitter, the micro-blogging platform should come next in line. With Facebook and Twitter fixed you need to work on finalising the 3rd name!

Honestly speaking, there can be multiple options to fit in there. For example, if you’re already a noted figure having an extensive network of friends and well-wishers in your business circle, LinkedIn should be you preferred choice. If your business falls into B2C category, then communicating directly with clients and inducing potential customers becomes a necessity. In that case Pinterest and YouTube should be your choice.

Also, to perk up your business website authority on Google’s Search Result Pages (SERPs) you must ensure to have a Google Plus page for your business.

Remain Active and Consistent

“What gets seen more, sells more.” This might sound clichéd, but the truth is, your small business needs to be always visible on these social media websites. With sites like Facebook and Twitter teeming with posts and tweets from businesses and individuals every other minute, your target audience may not always see you!

Connect with them through meaningful posts and tweets, which add value to the user experience, rest assured they’ll come looking for you! Social media is about “Sharing and Caring”. Plan your content strategy and create posts with meaningful messages. Post updates at regular intervals and not just once in a blue moon!

Build Loyalty

Simply put, it’s easier said than done! But it’s not impossible. Even if you are a small business operating locally, you can effectively use Facebook and Twitter to generate more business, and build your brand loyalty. How?

By turning your online fans into your most trusted brand ambassadors through one-to-one communication. This might be a time consuming exercise and one that requires rigorous monitoring, coupled with public relation skills and domain expertise, all rolled into one. But then, a professional social media marketing can represent your small business on social media platforms in a more professional way.

Reward your social media fans

Who doesn’t want gifts? Offer your clients and customers who have connected with your business pages on Facebook and Twitter some gifts from time to time. Appreciate them for their comments, likes, shares, retweets and mentions. Make them feel special; help them realise how valuable they are to your business. The rest is magic!

These are just a few pointers that I have shared above. There can be about a dozen more tips and advices you might come across on the web. But remember, the above tips and suggestions come from real-life involvement with small businesses that have experienced exponential growth by leveraging social media. So stay positive and get one with your plan.