How do I Market my Small Business on Social Media?

Most business owners know how essential social media is in building a brand and reaching new customers. However, in the madness of launching, sometimes things like creating a solid Instagram posting strategy and developing engaging Facebook Ads slide to the bottom of the list of priorities.

This step-by-step guide will help you market your small business on social media, whether you’re based in Melbourne (like me!) or anywhere else in the world.

Step 1: Start with the basics

You’re probably asking yourself, ‘Which platforms should I use for my small business?” and ‘How often should I post?’

The answers to these questions really depend on where you think your customer is hanging out. If you have a consumer facing brand, you definitely want to be on Instagram and Facebook, and perhaps Pinterest and YouTube too. For professional service companies, you’ll be better suited to LinkedIn and Twitter.

For posting frequency, it’s best to think about what is achievable with your current resources. You don’t have to post every single day to get engagement but you should definitely be posting at least 3 times a week per platform to avoid getting lost in the algorithm.

Step 2: Research your competitors

Not all of your competitors will be killing it on social media, and those who are killing it might not be doing things that will be right for your brand. Take a few hours to sit down and scroll through your competitors’ feeds. Start a Google Doc and take a note of key learnings including what content appears to be most popular (you won’t be able to see Instagram Likes so use number of Comments as a guide). Have a think about what you like and what is right for your brand.

Don’t just stick to your direct competitors either. Look to other sectors to see which businesses are popular. Is there anything they are doing that could be adapted to your industry?

Step 3: Create a 1 Page Strategy

I can already hear you guys saying, “Nat, I’m not a Social Media Manager, how am I supposed to create a simple social media strategy for my business?’ Fear not lovely people; this doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, I don’t want you to do anything more than a one-pager which summarises the direction you want to go in. Add in key points like creative direction of imagery, content themes, caption ideas and the key brand values you want to stick to.

Another great idea is to create your ICA. ICA stands for Ideal Customer Avatar and basically is a representation of your target consumer. Your ICA should have clearly defined demographic, interests, spending power and values. Write these down and refer to them before creating any social media content.

Step 4: Create a Content Plan

There is a huge difference between creating content and content marketing. If you’re putting out random pieces of content you’ll probably be left wondering what the value of this is for your business. A content marketing plan has clear brand pillars to stick to and clear goals to work towards. Each piece of content should aim to attract your dream client or customer with the goal of building a passionate community.

Create a calendar and map out key dates for your business. Be sure to include holidays and relevant ‘social media days’ to ensure the content you plan is relevant to your target audience. Then layer in things like campaign and product launch. This will provide an excellent framework for a detailed social media and content plan. Make sure there is strategy and a logical rhythm behind the content you add into the plan. Each piece should work together to move the dial for your business.

Step 5: Create some Beautiful Content

Of course, now we know what we want to post, we need some gorgeous images and video to add into our plan. There are so many amazing and affordable local photographers and video agencies in Melbourne who will be ready to help you realise your vision. The key to working with them is to develop a proper brief. Be sure to include lots of creative direction and visual examples of what you’d like. Let your creative service provider know exactly what and how much you need. The more specific you can be about what you like, the best-placed they will be to deliver visual content that suits your brand.

(side-bar - the number one mistake I see clients make in visual briefs is to give conflicting direction. Carefully review your examples to ensure they all have the right lighting, styling, colours and more. For example, if one of them hits the bill for styling, but doesn’t have the right lighting, make a note of this and explain why you have included it. Photographers aren’t mind-readers!)

Step 6: Get Started

There’s nothing like getting started to help you… get started! Sign up to a scheduling tool like Hootsuite or Iconosquare and start scheduling in your content! Be sure to constantly review your analytics to see what is performing and what isn’t. Do more of what works and ditch what isn’t! Remember to frequently reply to comments and engage with your community. Social media is a two way street people!

If you’re feeling inspired to invest in a social media agency for your business in Melbourne, or worldwide, check out my services and get in touch for a FREE strategy session.