Why small businesses should tap into the power of social media
Social media may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s incredibly popular these days, with internet users apparently spending 1 hour and 54 minutes every day on social media1!
And it’s not just used for personal reasons, a lot of people follow businesses and brands on social media, so it’s a vital tool for potential customers to find you, and to make your voice heard in this increasingly competitive world.
But with so many social media channels out there, all with a range of different features, how do you know which ones will work best for your business, and where your potential customers are most likely to be spending their time? Once you understand this, you can choose the channels that will work best for you.
Yell, the UK’s No.1 provider of managed digital marketing services for all types of local businesses2 has put together a helpful guide to all the key social media networks, summarising which would work for what type of business. It also has useful tips on social media etiquette, and some revealing statistics on social media usage, including:
1) Facebook has a UK user base of more than 40 million people, which scales up to 2.7 billion people worldwide. So it’s likely that your customers are spending time on this platform.
2) Twitter is unique in limiting its users to just 280 characters in each post, so short, concise messages are key! It also makes use of hashtags which are searchable, so you can easily find relevant conversations you want to take part in.
3) Instagram makes use of images first and foremost, so it works best for businesses with visually appealing products, although videos are also popular on the platform. Similar to Twitter, hashtags are popularly used to help users find content they’re interested in.
Of course, there are more social media channels than this, including LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok to name just a few.
It’s important to stay on top of the constantly evolving world of social media which, if used correctly, provides the perfect platform to showcase your products, skills and services. Regular updates will keep your audience engaged and interested, and you can also use the advertising side of the platforms to find and target relevant audiences with your marketing messages.
People’s attention spans are becoming increasingly shorter and more selective as our lives get busier and busier, while choices get more plentiful every day. As you can see, you need to develop a concise and precise message, which is a skill in itself, while also finding the best way to showcase and sell your goods ‘ whether this is a product or a service.
Achieve this, and you will be well on your way to making social media work for your business.
Download your free guide here.
- WeAre Social 2017
- M-Brain 2019
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