Social Media Marketing: 5 Tricks You Have to Know as a Small Business

Social Media Marketing Tricks for Small Business

Social media can be a critical part of your digital marketing strategy, but it can also be confusing, overwhelming, and, as a direct result, done poorly. Here are five tricks you should know as a small business owner about social media marketing. 

1. Every platform is different
The biggest mistake you can make is to approach social media as a single entity, as if Facebook is the same as LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+.

Instead, you need to get to know each of the unique settings of each social media platform.  Hang out there for a while to get a feel for what other people are doing. For example, LinkedIn is similar to a business networking event or presentation. It's OK to promote yourself and your business, as long as you do so eloquently and professionally. On the other hand, Facebook is more like a coffee shop. If you walk in there expecting to hand out business cards and make connections like you do at a networking event, you will fall on your face. Instead, you need to be more subtle. Regardless of what social networking platform you're learning, pay attention to what is encouraged by others, and how you gain positive attention within the community.

LinkedIn vs. Facebook marketing strategies

2. Consistency is key
Anyone can join 5-6 social media platforms in one day, then create amazing profiles and the perfect first post. Most people can keep up their enthusiasm for a week. But after that, most people drop off, unable to maintain the single most important thing in marketing: consistency.

Whatever platform you choose, make a commitment and show up consistently over time. Social media is frankly a big waste of time if you just float in and out, posting updated occasionally, but never making a true impact on the community.

3. Make a commitment
If you are running a small business, there is a good chance that you don't really have time to hang out on social media networks. You probably have real customers to worry about on a daily basis, and are struggling to keep them happy, while managing a staff and cashflow.

Social media marketing is like all other forms of marketing: it requires a commitment. If you decide that your prospects are hanging out on social media, then it is worth making a commitment to marketing your business on social media, but don't try to do it all yourself. Hire someone to help. If you are knowledgeable about social media and marketing, then you can hire an assistant and guide them on how to do the work. But if you don't know much yourself, then find an expert who can guide the way for you. 

4. Use photos, infographics, etc.
More and more, social media is about graphics. It wasn't always that way. Four years ago, Facebook and Twitter relied mainly on words and links. Now, they are heavily graphically-oriented. Newcomers like Pinterest and Instagram are almost entirely graphics-based. The fact is that if you want to be on social media, then you need to accompany most of your posts with photos, infographics, and other images that make your posts more interesting to readers. In the end, human beings are attracted to pictures, so make sure you use them! 

5. Share the love
Social media is set in a basic foundation: social. This means that basic human instincts such as sharing and communicating are maximized. Don't show up to the party as the bore who only wants to look in the mirror and talk about himself. If that's who you are, then it's frankly better not to show up on social media at all. Instead, take note of the human nature involved, and show your businesses' humanity in the process. Comment on real situations that you care about. Comment on other people's posts as much as (and more than) you post about yourself. Follow the golden rule, and you can't go wrong.