Social media can be a powerful tool or a major headache. If you’re looking to expand your customer base, social media platforms can be a great place to start. Here are some things you should think about while planning out what sort of social media strategy to develop.
Go Where Your Audience Is
There are many different social media platforms you could invest your time in. You should just choose 2 or 3 platforms to focus on, at least at first. You need to think about who you’re trying to sell to and figure out where they are when they’re online. For example, adults between 30 and 50 usually use Facebook. Teens and younger adults gravitate towards Instagram and Snapchat. If you’re not certain where, to begin with, social media, then Facebook and your Google My Business page are good places to start.
Facebook is the platform most people think of when they think of social media, so let’s talk a little bit about how it works. To start, you need to understand that Facebook is constantly changing. What worked in January of 2020 probably won’t work in January 2021. Here are the basics right now though.
How Facebook Works Now
Facebook shows each user content that it thinks they will engage with. So, if you comment on your friend Tom’s photo, you will start to see more of Tom’s posts popping up in your news feed. If tons of people start commenting on the same photo, it will keep showing up to more and more of Tom’s friends.
This means that if you can create posts on your business page that get people talking and sharing, you’re more likely to appear in people’s news feeds and be seen. That can be tricky! It forces you to really know your audience and what they will engage with, and it means you have to be frequently creating new content to post. Otherwise, your efforts will be entirely wasted because no one will ever see what you post unless they visit your page intentionally.
Facebook Ads
Targeted ads (not Boosts) are a very effective way to advertise on Facebook. You can select a very narrow group of people, based on demographics, where they live, even what Facebook groups they are in. People you’ve targeted are the ones that will see your ads. It’s worth noting that the rules for ads on Facebook are incredibly stringent. If you plan to write ads for Facebook, it’s a good idea to sign up for a mini-course on the subject or pay an expert writer to help until you get the hang of it. Otherwise, you’ll probably have your ads rejected and not know why.
Is Facebook worth it?
In short, Facebook can be a great tool if you want to use their paid ads to target specific groups. If you’re trying to get free advertising, you’ll need to invest a lot of time into creating compelling content to post.
It is always worth having a business page and encouraging customers to leave you a review though, even if you don’t want to pay for ads or create content. That way people who like you can share your Facebook page with their friends and positive reviews are always a great selling point for potential new customers.
You may not think of Google as social media, but It’s likely that many people will search “contractors in my area” when trying to find a contractor to hire. For you to appear in the Google search results, here are some things you should do:
● Make sure your website is up-to-date, works on a phone, and that the text on your pages is written with SEO optimization in mind. If you don’t know what that is, hire a copywriter or spend a couple of hours googling it. It’s not too hard to get the basics down.
● Claim your free business page on Google. This page allows you to appear on Google maps (very important for customers searching by location), lets customers leave you reviews, and shows your important contact info right in the Google search results.
There are hundreds of courses, blog posts, videos, and more to train business owners on social media strategy. Choose what you think will help you most and focus on learning that one strategy before you move on to others. If you’re feeling totally overwhelmed, consider looking for an intern.
Colleges and universities are filled with marketing students in need of real business experience. You may be able to find one willing to help you for free or very cheap in exchange for the real-world experience you can offer them.
We’d love to hear from you. When it comes to social media, do you love it or hate it?
