Many businesses sink when it comes to social media success because they jump in feet first and create a bunch of accounts. Let’s face it, social media is one of the most powerful and mandatory tools in today’s small business environment. Without them, you lack the ability to respond to customers in real-time. But it’s not just about your customer service.
These five tips will help ensure your social media success, even as you strive to keep things simple.
Commit To An Account and An Identity
It’s common for people to have multiple accounts on a single social media platform, depending on their needs. While useful on a personal level, it’s not the best approach if you’re a small business owner looking to develop your presence. Don’t be afraid of having your thoughts be attached to your company – embrace it. Whether you like it or not, your personal brand is inextricable from your company brand. Use it to your advantage.
Get Ahead of Negative Press
The biggest mistake you can make on social media is to think that all press is good press. It may have been true once, but now it’s a real threat to both your brand and the future of your small business. Even a little bit of bad press can hamper sales and conversions enough to jeopardize the continued existence of the company.
Get ahead of negative press before it builds up. Answer any threats to your reputation politely by clarifying the facts and pointing out the errors. Don’t wait for something to go viral. If you see something, do something.
Develop a Plan
Everything you do as a small business owner must have purpose. You can’t just put up post after post and expect things to work out. For your personal brand to flourish, you must have a plan. This means figuring out what you want to accomplish, and sorting out which platform is best for it relative to your audience.
If you’re having trouble figuring out a goal, think about your small business’s needs. If you need more promotions, for example, cater your plan to suit it. Weave self-promotion into your posts and figure out how to do it in the community without being obnoxious. Have a plan.
Use a Social Media Account Manager
While creating and running multiple social media accounts won’t cost you money, it will cost you time and energy, two things that are in limited supply. Fortunately, programs and platforms exist that will allow you to monitor happenings in all your social media accounts from a single dashboard. Using that will make sure you miss as little as possible while minimizing the impact it has on your schedule.
Study Your Followers
Running a great social media account isn’t just about presenting your thoughts or promoting your company. It’s also about catering your posts to your followers. Monitor what they talk about and then post things relevant to them. This doesn’t mean you have to change who you are, but it does mean that you have to stay relevant to your current followers.
Your social media account can form the foundation of a strong small business, if used correctly. It may be time consuming and difficult at times, but your company needs your personal brand to get the ball rolling. The sooner you get to it, the better.