How To Use Social Media To Market Your Small Business

Over 60% of the world's population are using some form of social media, and in Australia, on average, we are spending over six hours a week consuming content. So it’s fairly safe to say that in this day and age, social media runs supreme, and if you want to effectively advertise your business, then you need to be on it. But it’s not just a matter of being on socials, it’s also about how you use it. Learning how to leverage these online platforms can help significantly expand your reach, promote your business and increase connection with your current and future customers. 

So, how do you do it? Well, the first step is understanding it.

Understanding Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing differs from traditional marketing, and in some ways, it is more subtle. Think about businesses you have seen on socials, particularly the ones you have engaged with or even better purchased from. What got you to that point? If I had to hazard a guess, it was probably that the content was interesting, beautiful, funny, or it was a really excellent sale. What it probably wasn’t was ‘salesy’ or stiff or repetitive. 

It may feel counterproductive, but when it comes to social media, it is less about selling and more about adding value. By offering thoughtful, interesting and engaging content, you will connect with people and in turn, they will engage back. The more this happens, the more the algorithm will push your content and the more people will see it and engage. It’s a cycle, and it can be a very rewarding cycle because, as we know, sometimes half the battle is just being discovered. And of course, the more that people see your brand and engage with it, the more they will trust it, and when people trust your brand, they are far more likely to buy from it. 

So if it is not about directly promoting products or services, then what is it about?

1. Building Brand Awareness and Reputation

Being a business on social media provides you with a unique opportunity to really connect with your customers. By having a good presence on social media and posting consistently, you are giving your audience a chance to get to know your business and what you have to offer. 

2. Driving Traffic and Conversions 

Okay, so it is about making sales or conversions because of course it is; any good business needs to make money, but as we’ve already looked at, the way you get to this point is what is important. Social media is a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website and increasing conversions, but it’s not overt. You have to offer something first that makes your audience want to go to your website and do whatever it is that you would like them to do - whether that is a purchase, contacting you or signing up, the process remains the same.

3. Gaining Insight Into Your Audience / Customer 

This is one of the best parts of being on social media. As a business owner, it is crucial to understand your target audience and know what their needs are, so you can effectively focus your efforts on providing that product or service without wasting too much time or money. With social media, you can gain a huge amount of insight into exactly that. You can see general locations, age, gender and importantly, which content people are interacting with the most and which links they are clicking on. A great insight into areas you may wish to focus more on. Plus, if you can get your audience commenting or leaving reviews, then you can gain even more insight and actually interact with them. It can be tricky, though, as just because they are a follower on socials doesn’t necessarily mean they are a customer, but this is why you pair that information with your website analytics and don’t trust everything you see on social media!

Alright, so that gives some insight into using social media as a business and the benefits it offers, but now it’s time to actually create your account (or refresh it) and start posting with purpose.

Getting Started On Social Media

1. Define Your Goals

Before you dive in, it’s important to understand what you are trying to accomplish and which platforms suit those needs. Not all businesses suit Pinterest or LinkedIn, for example, but the ones that do can really thrive there. Common goals include:

• Drive traffic to your website

• Generate leads and sales

• Increase brand awareness

• Build an active community around your brand

• Offer support or education related to your area of expertise

2. Understand Your Audience 

Once you know your goals, it’s time to look at your target audience.  Consider factors such as:

• Demographics: Age, Gender, Location, Income, Education, Occupation

• Psychographics: Interests, hobbies, beliefs, aspirations 

• Online Behaviour: Which platforms do they use, and how do they interact with them 

3. Choose The Right Platforms 

From here, it’s time to pick the platforms best suited to your business. Below is a simplified overview of the major platforms:

• Facebook: Great for building community, engaging with a wide audience and sharing a variety of content types. Also ideal for running targeted ads. 

• Instagram: Ideal for visually focused businesses that have a lot of imagery or video to share and want to build brand awareness.

• LinkedIn: Best for B2B (Business to Business) marketing and building professional connections. 

• YouTube: Best for businesses that want to offer long-form video content, such as songs, how-tos, product reviews, etc. 

• Pinterest: Ideal for showcasing visual products that will inspire and/or encourage website visits.

• X (Formerly Twitter): Best for sharing quick and short real-time updates that encourage conversation and keep people updated. 

4. Create Or Update Your Profile Page

You’ve chosen your platforms, and you know what you want to achieve, so now it is time to sign up. All the platforms will walk you through it, but keep in mind that for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, you may need to change the settings to convert the page to a business page. Once it’s created, you’ll want to add profile pictures, a clear bio, and contact information, and you may wish to invite people to follow or start following people/businesses yourself. 

5. Post Diverse and Engaging Content Consistently 

Content is everything when it comes to social media; without it, you aren’t really there. Take some time to think about what you would like to offer, what your ideal customer may want to see and what your competitors are posting. From there, write down your ideas and see if you can put together a content calendar. By planning out the weeks or months ahead, you can keep far more consistent and stop it from being too overwhelming. It’s also a really helpful way to make sure you aren’t posting the same content over and over. Your posts should be a mix of informative, inspirational, entertaining and promotional, just keep the promotional content to a minimum. A good rule of thumb is to aim for around 10-15% of your posts to be directly promotional. 

Here are some key points to consider when it comes to your content:

• Visuals: Use high-quality images, videos, graphics, etc. that draw the eye and are interesting. Keep in mind that with videos, attention spans can be short, so keep it concise and interesting.

• Copywriting: It matters what words you use and the length of your captions. Sometimes it is appropriate to have longer written pieces but sometimes it is better to keep it short and simple. The different platforms suit different things, but it also comes down to what you are sharing and who your audience is. Often, the best strategy is to mix it up. 

• Hashtags: Mainly relevant on Instagram and TikTok, but still important to consider. Hashtags are used to categorise content and make it easier to discover, which is why you want to use relevant ones and a mix of broader / popular ones, as well as more niche ones. Don’t overdo it though, around 5 is an ideal amount to get your content out there without coming across as ‘spammy’. 

• Trends: A great way to generate more engagement is to utilise trending content, such as popular topics, audio or styles. Just make sure the trend aligns with your brand and audience and that you don’t just copy but try to offer a fresh or unique take. 

6. Engage

There is far more to social media marketing than just posting content, you also need to engage and participate. This doesn't just mean responding to messages or comments on your page, although that is incredibly important, but actually engaging with other content on the site. For example, with Instagram, you should like and comment on other people's posts, look at reels and follow accounts that interest you. The more you use the app, the more Instagram will recognise your account, and it will be easier to grow. Also, take advantage of all the tools at your disposal, post stories, go live and run polls, and if you can, create reels - they are huge for boosting your reach! 

7. Last But Not Least Utilise Analytics 

All the platforms have built-in analytics that show you overall statistics, such as reach and views, and also post-specific statistics. You should check these regularly and use them to see what posts work and which ones might need some tweaks. It may surprise you the demographic you are attracting on social media or how much of your content is being viewed by followers or non-followers.

8. Bonus Step: Try Out Paid Ads

You can still grow your accounts organically online, but it is no secret that paid ads will win out almost every time. It has nothing to do with you or your content; it is just simply the way the algorithm works, and it will prioritise paid ads. The good news is that this can be done in an incredibly cost-effective way, and you can grow your audience and push your chosen conversions at whatever budget you would like to set. There are plenty of options when it comes to ads, but we do highly recommend trying out A/B testing to help you tailor your content and optimise results. 

At the end of the day, building an online presence and relationships with your customers takes time and effort, but it can pay off in a big way. Consistency is key, and being authentic with your content will help you build your brand. The most important thing to remember is that social media is more about offering something to your users than heavily promoting yourself or your product. It is a give-and-take relationship in a lot of ways, but if you can offer relevant and interesting content that showcases your brand's personality and how you can make your customers' lives better, then you will see returns. 

If you are ready to level up your social media marketing and start meeting your goals, we would love to hear from you! We offer two different packages depending on your needs, but we are also more than happy to create a custom plan. To learn more or to get in touch, check out our social media management packages here.