How to get your SMB on social media & grow your business

For many SMB owners, using social media is easier said than done — things like a lack of confidence in the digital space and a lack of time are just two of the obvious hurdles. But with around 7 out of 10 Australians using one or more social media platforms, it’s almost imperative these days that SMBs have a social media presence. In the following we’ve come up with a few handy hints to help you get your business onto social media.

1. Know your audience

Anything you read or hear about launching your business onto social media highlights the importance of knowing your target audience before you decide on which platform or platforms to use. For example, younger users tend to focus on the more visual mediums, such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, while 40 – 49 year olds mostly use Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. And gender also plays a part in which platforms are used, with men mostly on LinkedIn, Twitter and Snapchat and women more likely to use Pinterest. That said, Facebook still dominates, with 15 million users in Australia as of 2016. 

What this should tell you, as a small business owner, is that your choice of social media platforms very much depends on what your business does and who you want to reach. Most of you know who your audience is, and in some cases it could be very broad. Facebook is usually a good first choice (not always, though), but do your research into what other platforms might enhance your brand awareness. This is as easy as putting a direct question into your search engine — something like ‘what is the best social media platform for the car industry Australia?’ — and reading a few of the recent articles that pop up. 

2. Develop a social media strategy

• What you hope to achieve with your social media presence;
• Who you want to target;
• What platform/s you are going to focus on and why;
• What your social media presence is going to look like;
• What kind of persona your business is going to have online;
• How much and what kind of social media activity you are going to engage in; and
• How you are going to measure the success of your social media activity (i.e. leads, website visits, online sales or customers through the door). 

Once you’ve worked through these and any other questions relevant to your business you’ll have a sense of how and why you’re going to approach the task of setting up your social media profile.  

3. Be consistent in your branding

One of the main reasons SMBs should be on social media is the part it plays in raising brand awareness. Which is why it’s so important to be consistent in your branding across all your channels and your website. And part of your branding is the ‘voice’ your business has on social media, which, again, needs to be consistent. 

Your business’ ‘voice’ is both what distinguishes you from your competitors and grabs the attention of potential customers. Have a think about your branding and what kind of persona best suits it and your intended audience. Perhaps your branding will need some tweaking in order to fit into the social media sphere, or perhaps it’s already got its own ‘voice’ and you just need to adapt it. 

The important thing is to engage positively with your audience/customers and avoid being defensive if you are faced with negative reviews or comments. Remember, there are always going to be critics, regardless of the medium, and as a business you need to be able to rise above the criticism and address whatever concerns have been expressed in a genuine manner. 

4. Engage, educate & participate

Key to building an online community (and brand awareness) is providing, sharing and promoting content that engages your audience, whether it’s content that you’ve produced yourself (such as blog posts) or sharing content that is relevant to your business. But think laterally — for example, if you’re a mechanic, don’t just post car related stuff, as this will alienate a lot of women (over half your potential customers). Rather, you could share articles on great road trips around Australia or weekend getaways, and you’ll immediately start appealing to a wider audience, while at the same time drawing attention to your brand.

Many people use social media to inform themselves, so post educational content about your product or service. Your audience will begin to see you as a useful part of their lives and will subsequently share your content on their own social media channels. 

Finally, participate in other online communities, such as related businesses, suppliers, and local events, causes and venues. This further grows your audience and brand loyalty, as customers see you as an active participant in a broader community rather than solely focused on selling your product. 

5. Measure your results