How to Use Social Media for Your Business

Social media can generate customer engagement and additional income for your company. The key is to choose the right social networks for your business. For example, Facebook has a broad audience and is driven by media (images and videos) and Twitter, while it also has a broad audience, is primarily text- driven (links). LinkedIn on the other hand, is a professional networking site. Social media networks may also be industry driven. If you own a restaurant for example, you may want to use Pinterest to share recipes and images of food to garner likes and shares. Check out these social media marketing tips to enhance your social presence and grow your customer base.

Choose the right social media networks for your business

Each social network has its own set of rules and a distinct audience. It’s important to find the right ones to focus on so you aren’t wasting funds on a media plan your target audience isn’t engaged with. Social media networks include, but are not limited to:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• YouTube

When engaging on these platforms, keep in mind what posts will potentially drive the most traffic. Will an image on Twitter boost user response? How can you improve your posts on Facebook to drive not just engagement on the platform, but also traffic back to your website? Are Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram, which are media driven, the right venue for you or will you find your product or service doesn’t fit as well here as on other social media outlets? Finally, can you use LinkedIn to develop business connections or cultivate new prospects? Examine the core elements of your business and do some research to find out where your industry is engaged and where your customers are engaged. For example, an accountant or real estate agent will likely fare better on LinkedIn than they would on Instagram. Narrowing your focus is critical to proper customer engagement, budgeting and avoiding overwhelming yourself with social media. Choose two or three platforms, preferably the ones your audience uses, and spend the majority of your time, effort and money there.

Social media marketing tips

You want to put your best foot forward when you’re using social media in business, which will mean you need to adhere to some best practices and develop a basic understanding of the platforms and audiences with which you’ll be interacting. The timeliness of these platforms and the sensitivities that can sometimes be heightened make it important to always be tactful, professional and courteous when you engage with customers, advocates and antagonists.

Use these social media marketing tips to help your business get off to a good start in the social sphere.

• Follow the guidelines for each network. You may need to resize images to make sure they fit your chosen social media network. The dimensions of a Facebook cover page are 851 x 351 pixels, while a Twitter header page is 520 x 260 pixels. Photos and assets you want to share on these networks may also need to be adjusted, or you may be creating assets specifically for these networks. This could require additional budget. When sharing content, make sure links are current and active so users do not receive an error.

• Engage with users. Always keep your target audience in mind. Your community wants to hear from you. Most importantly, they want to know you’re listening to them. Respond quickly to questions and pass deeper issues to customer service or the appropriate team member. Don’t be afraid to ask them for feedback either – it’s important to understand what they want or need from you.

• Post regularly. Don’t stay silent. Create a social media marketing calendar and stick to it. Whether you’re posting promotions, notable industry articles, or assets you’ve created yourself – it’s important to stay relevant in the space. It’s also important to respond in a timely fashion to questions or concerns from customers.

• Stay engaged, keep your tone light, and position yourself as an authority in your industry. Remember, social media is about being social, so it’s important to show your human side as well as your business side. However, it’s also important to avoid becoming so casual no one takes your advice seriously.

• Don’t give in to the “Haters.” You won’t please everyone all of the time and it’s better to keep a composed front than to be known for retaliation.

• Consider hiring a professional to handle your social media. If you’re not savvy at social, you may want to hire someone who is. Whether it’s an individual or an agency, a dedicated resource can make managing social media simpler.

Create a social media strategy for your business

As with any element of marketing, it’s important to have a well-defined social media strategy for your business. Before you sign up for any social networks, you’ll need to lay the groundwork with a promotional calendar, the creation of social assets and more. Follow these steps when using social media for business:

1. Allocate funds for advertising. No matter how in depth your social strategy will be, it’s important to make sure it’s properly funded before you begin.
2. Create a posting schedule. How much will you post and when?
3. Monitor all social networks. Consider downloading a tool that lets you review engagement from multiple sources at once.
4. Test assets and platforms. What works for your company and consumers and what doesn’t? See what types of posts have the most likes, retweets or shares and try to create more of these posts in the future.

Open a business checking account to fund your business’s social media strategy

Social media is an investment in the growth of your business. If you plan to implement a social media strategy as part of your overall marketing initiative, make sure there’s room for it in your marketing budget. Consider opening a business checking account to handle the costs of a social media employee or agency, social ad spending, asset creation like videos, images, eBooks and memes, and social media monitoring platforms. Once you learn how to use social media, you can measure your return on investment. However, keep in mind that using social media for business is more about customer engagement with your brand and may not immediately impact your bottom line. If you’re going to engage in social, you need to be willing to stick it out until you see results.

Sponsored content was created and provided by Citizens Financial Group.