TABLE OF CONTENTS
By Eric Elkins, CEO of WideFoc.us Social Media
When Alexander invited me to write a guest blog post for owners and marketing professionals, I jumped at the chance. A strong social media presence really can help local businesses grow and thrive!
When I started WideFoc.us in 2007, social media was just emerging as a way to connect with current and potential customers—now, it’s a primary revenue driver for many businesses.
But your store’s Instagram account isn’t a social media strategy on its own.
THE BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES
Here’s the thing: An effective social media presence is essential for growing your audience and increasing sales. It can be a pain in the butt to stay consistent and strategic, but the benefits are worth it.
INCREASED VISIBILITY
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and even Pinterest have millions of active daily users who spend a lot of time on these channels (some too much time). The good news is that regularly posting engaging content increases your reach with your key audiences, making it easier for potential customers to discover your brand.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Social media allows you to interact directly with your customers, building strong affinities and fostering a sense of community around your brand. Responding to comments, sharing user-generated content, and engaging in conversations can create loyal customers who feel connected to your business — and become your best ambassadors.
TARGETED ADVERTISING
This is a biggie. The bad news: Your visibility and engagement will be low if you don’t put some money behind your social media efforts — it’s largely pay-to-play. The good news? Social media platforms offer powerful advertising tools that allow you to target specific demographics, consumer behaviors, locations, and interests. They provide sophisticated tools to reach the audiences most likely interested in your products or services, maximizing the return on your advertising investment. It’s creepy but powerful and essential for a growing business.
SHOWCASING YOUR BRAND
Social media is a visual platform where you can showcase your company’s personality, values, and products or services fun and compellingly. High-quality photos, videos, and creative content can make your brand stand out and attract more engagement—and new customers!
CUSTOMER INSIGHTS
If you’re paying attention, your social presence will provide valuable insights into your target audience’s preferences, pain points, behaviors, and honest feedback. This information can be used to refine your marketing strategies, develop new products, and improve customer service. It closes the loop and helps ensure that all your hard work results in ROI.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Managing your brand’s social media presence is a daily responsibility — and it can be a slog if you don’t plan ahead. The first thing to decide is which channels you want to focus on. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses, a user base and optimal content formats. Choose the ones that best align with your target audiences and business goals—or, honestly, pick the one or two you like using and can keep up with.
Facebook is all about Boomers and Gen Xers, making it suitable for reaching older audiences and building a community around your brand. Meta’s advertising tools are also potent for targeting specific demographics.
Instagram is all about visual storytelling for a mainstream audience. The best bet is to pick lifestyle connections for your content rather than focusing too much on demographics.
LinkedIn is perfect for B2B companies looking to connect with other businesses and professionals. It’s a fantastic platform for sharing industry insights, establishing thought leadership, and driving leads with key decision-makers.
Since COVID increased audiences on Pinterest, it’s been our secret weapon for B2C clients who want to build an aesthetic and aspirational presence — and get lots and lots of clicks at a super low CPC (cost-per-click). Here’s more on that and a nice little download to go with it.
Hate it or love it, TikTok is growing into a mainstream channel. Gen Z is using the app as their search engine of choice, so it’s becoming increasingly essential… for the right brands. If you have the bandwidth to create short UGC-style videos and want to dive in, awesome. But if your resources are limited, you’ll likely want to stick to Meta platforms for now.
BUILD A SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN WITH THESE KEY COMPONENTS
That’s the mantra when it comes to effective social media management. If you’re managing this on your own or putting an employee on it, the best thing you can do is build out a plan with these critical components:
DEFINED TARGET AUDIENCES
Who are your key customers, and what pain points do you solve for them? Jot down what you know about your best buyers—their lifestyle, what inspires them, and how they relate to your brand. You can’t create content that resonates without knowing your audience and aligning your posts to their needs and desires.
DEFINED GOALS, MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Okay, cool… you’re posting on Instagram. What do you truly want to achieve? What are your actual goals for social? Think in terms of meaningful metrics, like “more website clicks or in-store visits,” — or shoot for increases in impressions and reach to get in front of larger audiences. Or maybe likes, comments, and shares that demonstrate people are keyed in and inspired.
STICK TO A CONTENT CALENDAR
If every morning you’re saying, “Aw crap, what am I going to post today?” You’ve already lost the battle. A monthly calendar breaking down what you post about would be ideal — but even a weekly breakdown will help you plan and organize.
Something as simple as this example will help you get consistent:
- Mondays: Photo or video about a product, unique, or cool thing at your business.
- Wednesdays: Highlight a customer, strategic partner, employee, or another local business you love (and tag them) or share a link to an article or influential blog post that mentions trends related to your brand.
- Fridays: A fun message leading into the weekend that will inspire people to click, call, or visit.
If you know the cadence of your week, you’ll look for things that fit. Put everything in a Google folder so it’s there when you need it.
AD BUDGET AND PLAN
Put a few bucks aside to increase your metrics — even if it’s only a couple hundred each month — and use that spend on targeted post boosts or website clicks and lead-gen campaigns. Every platform has a set of ad products optimized for key outcomes, so dig in and use the ones most likely to drive the behaviors you prioritize. Boosts will increase engagement and reach but won’t drive a ton of traffic. Fan campaigns will grow your audience base but won’t drive conversions. Traffic ads are designed to get more eyeballs on your website.
Get all up in your socials every day — and actually engage. At the end of every month, pull up analytics from the platforms and Google to see how you did. Adjust accordingly, and look at what’s working (and what’s tanking).
IS IT ALL TOO MUCH?
I believe in you — but if you’re really committed to using social media to drive more business and don’t have the bandwidth to do it right, we can help. That’s the power that comes from hiring an agency like ours. Our job is to keep your social media content strategic and effective while bringing in dollars.
Stop treading water. If you’re shaking your head at the poor state of your current social presence, feeling the pressure to “get those numbers up,” or are just tired of the grind without seeing any real value or results, let’s talk about your target audiences, business goals, and current challenges.
We’ll create a plan that lifts your spirit and gives you confidence in the coming months.
Thanks for letting me visit your blog, Alexander!
Eric Elkins is the CEO and Chief Strategist at WideFoc.us Social Media, which he founded in 2007. He loves to help clients grow their brands and increase revenue. He also likes to eat. A lot.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Why is social media essential for local businesses?
An effective social media presence is essential for growing your audience and increasing sales.
How to choose the best social media platform for your business?
Choose the ones that best align with your target audiences and business goals.
What are several key components of building a social media plan?
Define your target audience, goals, and measurable outcomes. Stick to a content calendar and budget appropriately. These are the foundations of a social media plan.
