Nowadays, the effective use of social media is a must for modern businesses. In the past, businesses were able to advertise in the paper or the local directory and gain a fair amount of interest. However, with the increase in people not only using social media on a daily basis but often relying on it as a primary source of information, your business is likely to miss out if you’re not making full use of this channel.
With this in mind, we’ve prepared a guide on how to effectively use social media in business.
1. Evaluate your resources and use them wisely
With an estimated 90 per cent of customers choosing to shop or research their products using social media, you cannot afford to skip this step. During this phase, you should lay out your plan and analyse not only what you’re offering, but also the demographics you’re targeting. This last step is particularly crucial in determining which social media platforms you should be using. For example, a more business-focussed customer group might be more inclined to seek you out on LinkedIn, whereas using Facebook or Twitter might work when targeting the younger generations. It would be best to consult a social media agency which could help you target your customer base by using their effective strategies.
2. Invest in visual storytelling
They say a picture can tell a thousand words, so we can only hazard a guess that a video could write an entire essay. When posting social media updates, image and video posts are far more likely to gain traction than text-only posts. When posting these, you must make sure you take into account Facebook’s algorithms, which value posts that promote engagement.
The idea of images sticking in the minds of your customers is far from being a new one. Many popular businesses, such as Apple, still make huge use of retail signage to promote their products. A compelling sign can still make a huge impact on your campaign; find advice at https://moodmedia.co.uk/project/creating-compelling-retail-signage
3. Engage with your customers
Finally, don’t be afraid to interact with your customers. Social media is designed to start conversations, not just allow businesses to broadcast, and your customers will appreciate your commitment to responding to their comments. This means engaging with both positive and negative comments and showing that your business cares enough to get involved with its customers and resolve any issues they have online.
