It can be a pretty hard truth for small business owners…
But here it is…
You are very unlikely nowadays to get enough traction for your business by going to your business page on social media, posting 2-3 times a week and doing nothing else.
This is not going to lead to many, if any sales.
Social media posting alone is NOT an effective marketing plan.
Especially if few people know about your business.
You need visibility to grow.
Not just any visibility either. You need to be seen by your ideal clients and customers.
Unfortunately, the organic reach of business pages are pretty tragic, unless you have already built up your audience and are getting lots of engagement. Engagement is what drives visibility on social media.
Which means you can’t just post whatever and hope for the best. It’s not going to work.
So what do you do?
You need a solid social media strategy to go alongside a proactive marketing approach to stand out in today’s busy digital world.
Here are some essential steps to boost your business’s online presence and increase sales:
#1 Define Your Goals
Start by setting clear and measurable goals for your social media efforts. Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating leads, knowing your objectives will guide your strategy.
#2 Know Your Audience
Understand your target audience in as much depth as possible. What are their challenges, struggles, frustrations, dreams, aspirations, desires? This audience needs to be made up of your ideal clients and customers, not just anyone. Quality always before Quantity. All the content and posts that are created for your marketing needs to speak and resonate with your ideal clients and customers.
#3 Create Engaging Content
Don’t just post for the sake of posting. Develop high-quality, engaging content that provides value to your audience. Use a mix of formats, such as videos, images, stories, and blog posts, to keep your feed interesting. You don’t need to forever be creating new content either. It is fine to post the same content multiple times or repurpose it, if you create a good strategy around this.
#4 Consistency Does Matter
While frequency alone definitely does not guarantee success, consistency does matter. If your business is not being visible you will likely be out of mind of your ideal clients when they are ready to buy. If you drop off for a few months then you need to build up the lost momentum again. It doesn’t mean you need to be posting everyday, but ensuring you are consistently showing up most weeks is important.
#5 Communicate the Gap
Don’t just create valuable content that is useful. Your audience will consume that and keep scrolling on, sending no sales your way. It is essential that you communicate the gap that your products, services and business fills. This is the gap of why they should stop scrolling and talk to you, go to your website or buy off you. Tell them how your business can help them further and why they need what you offer at the end of most of your posts.
#6 Interact with Your Audiences
Social media is a two-way street. It is “social.” Engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions. Interact with their posts & content as well. Ask your audience questions to get a deeper understanding of who they are and what they need (that is relevant to your industry). Building a sense of community around your brand can foster loyalty, encourage referrals and build momentum for your business.
#7 Use the Combo
Posting on social media is one aspect of marketing. The best results I see across industries is to do a combination of marketing. Mix the social media posts with building relationships and genuine connections. Simply posting is not enough. Meet people in person, build your network, have genuine conversations over DMs, have phone calls, run live events. The combo works really well for not only increasing your social media engagement but also increasing your sales.
#8 Build an Asset that doesn’t rely on Social Media
Social media is great, but we do need to understand that we are under the control of the social media companies. Rules can change, algorithms get altered, platforms disappear or completely transform. This can have a significant impact on your visibility and sales in your business with little or no warning. So how can you take back some power? Build an email database of ideal clients that you then have permission to email. This builds your business an asset that you can use in your overall marketing strategy to drive more engagement, momentum and sales. Always make sure you are following the anti-spam laws in your country when doing email marketing.
Remember, building a successful social media presence takes time and effort. Be patient and persistent. Adapt your strategy as you learn what resonates with your audience.
If you want help to create a successful marketing strategy for your business or next product launch, then reach out and let’s chat. I can help you make a plan that is tailored to your business and attracts the ideal clients and results that you want.
