When you run a small business, there are a ton of things to do. You are in charge of building the right team, finding the best opportunities, identifying the best funding solutions, and more.

Therefore, most business managers will focus their efforts on budgeting, production, development, and other elements that help drive growth. This also means that marketing and social media tend to come last in the planning (if they are included at all).

But, in today’s day and age, businesses that don’t have a strong online presence may as well not exist. And we’re not talking just about having a nice-looking website! The recipe to success is tightly woven with the brand’s activity on social media platforms and various campaigns that include a social element.

Nowadays, it’s important to engage your audience on a personal level. This way, you create a connection between the brand and customers. In time, this leads to increased trust, loyalty, and community support. All these, translate to profits, increased brand awareness, and sale boosts.

But how do you figure out social media? The sheer number of platforms (old & new), features, and trends is enough to confuse small businesses and eat away your time and nerves. So, to give you a head start, here are a few tips to figure out social media management for small businesses.

#1: Find the Right Tools

We’re not going to sugarcoat things for you. There are many SMM platforms for small businesses, and each promises to help increase your brand’s online presence in no time and without effort.

While it’s true that several reliable tools can help reduce the time spent scheduling posts and planning, you have to know which ones work for you. For this, start by identifying your needs. What do you want to do with this tool? What features do you need? How do you want to access it?

Once you have a set of well-defined needs and goals, it’s time to start testing tools and decide which ones are keepers. We recommend focusing on the ones that help save time & effort at an affordable cost. 

#2: Start Small

Where is your audience on social media?

Chances are your people (and future customers) are spread across a range of platforms. After all, nowadays almost everyone has at least one account on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

However, unless you want to hire a dedicated team to cover all these social media channels, you won’t be able to keep up. So, the best method is to start with one platform. Choose the one that works best for your resources and puts you in front of the most people (part of the target audience).

If things go well, you may want to consider extending your reach via other platforms.

#3: Create Engagement

How many of your posts have likes, comments, or shares?

This is a common issue among social media beginners - even if their following is growing, they can’t seem to figure out how to get people involved. Everyone will say that quality content marketing is a crucial element of your digital strategy, but it’s equally important to learn how to invite people to take action.

According to a SproutSocial study, the main reasons people engage with brands on social are:

• Ask/answer questions (57%)
• Notify about issues with a product/service (45%)
• Praise a product/service (34%)
• Comment about the online experience (21%)
• Comment about the offline experience (12%)

Therefore, if you want to create engagement, you have to build your content around viewers’ questions and notifications. Pay attention to their messages (via email, phone, or blog comments) and show you care by posting answers and delivering solutions.

Key Takeaways

Social media is a crucial element in a brand’s relationship with customers and leads. Still, it takes a bit of trial and error to get it right. So, take your time, allow yourself to make some mistakes, and work hard to create engagement.