You’ve got a Google My Business listing. You’ve optimized every page on your website for local search, and included NAP information in all the requisite spots. Your job’s done, right? Not quite. Local search engine optimization is only the first step in marketing your small business. Your next step is arguably even more important.
As a small business owner, it’s easy to assume social media doesn’t matter to you. After all, you’re competing with a ton of major brands on that platform, right? Your own messages will just get lost in the noise, won’t they?
Not exactly. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram are all extremely powerful from a small business perspective, especially combined with local search engine optimization (SEO). They basically allow you to market your brand for free.
You can get people interested in your business posting cool photos or content. You can create awareness of sales and special events. You can further promote brand loyalty by engaging with your audience digitally as well as physically.
Consider, for instance, the results of a 2018 small business survey published by J. Clement (shown below), which found that 86 percent of respondents actively maintain a Facebook Business account. Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter were also highly-represented in the study, though not to the same extent. There is clear and widespread recognition amongst small businesses that social media represents a powerful means of reaching a broad audience.
Consider also the fact that, in North America, social network penetration has reached 70 percent, the highest globally.
Outreach aside, social media has another important function. It gives wider access to created content and positive user reviews. The latter is particularly essential, as reviews are a foundational component of the online purchasing process.
Basically, what I’m saying is that it’s in your best interest to figure out which of those platforms your audience uses and establish a presence for yourself there. I’ll help you get started.
Note that this piece is written with the assumption that you have a solid grasp of local SEO. If you don’t, I’d suggest you familiarize yourself with the basics of that discipline first. Search engine marketing publication Search Engine Journal has published a pretty phenomenal beginner’s guide – you can find that here.
Let’s dive right in.
First, create a Facebook Business Page. You can pull from your Google My Business listing to populate it with imagery and information. Your business will now show up in Facebook’s Recommendations, allowing people to find you through search.
Facebook’s all about interaction and conversation. People will come to your Facebook page with questions, concerns, and reviews. They’ll check in for cool content you’ve shared, or interesting news about you.
And they’ll like your page as a show of support for your brand.
Next, you might also consider creating an Instagram account. This will allow you to share cool photos of your products – and allowing your fans to tag you in their own photos. This one is all about generating awareness and engagement.
People love getting shout-outs for the content they’ve published, and they love it when a brand they’ve chosen to support takes notice of them. Something a simple as liking a photo someone’s taken of them using one of your products or giving them a shout out via an influencer can go a long way towards creating a loyal customer and securing repeat business for your brand.
Do note that where Instagram is concerned, you’ll need to figure out an aesthetic for your brand. A color scheme for your wall and your photos that makes it visually pleasing to people who are browsing it. The social management platform Later has a decent guide to help you in that regard.
Finally, you might also consider setting up a Twitter account. Primarily, this will end up being used for customer support, and to spread awareness of upcoming sales and events. It’s a lot more promotional than Facebook or Instagram in that regard.
With your social accounts established, your next step is to figure out a cadence for content publication. Note that there’s no perfect answer here. It’s all about when your audience is most active – so I’d advise using an audience insights platform like Sprout Social and paying attention to when your target market is online. Beyond that, what matters most is consistency.
You should have enough to get you started with social marketing. Good luck!
About the Author: Daniel Page is the Director of Business Development for ASEOHosting, a leading provider in SEO hosting and multiple IP hosting.