Social media marketing might appear to be an exhausting world of TikTok trends that change faster than the transmission fluid in your clients’ cars. But… it ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, when it’s done right – social media is a powerful engine to drive your business success.
Whether you’re a social media whizz or not – this article is geared to help owners of service-based businesses to use social media in a fun and empowering way. Check out our top 5 considerations when it comes to using social media, to build authentic connections with your customers and a community of people who love your brand.
1. Know who you're talking to!
Who are you trying to reach? What are their interests? What do they need? What do they like?!
By understanding who you’re talking to, you can create content that speaks directly to them and builds a connection.
You wouldn’t put gas in a diesel engine – right? Do some research or ask some questions to make sure you're speaking the same language as the people you want to connect with.
2. Spark engagement through personal connection
Social media content doesn’t always need to refer back to the product you’re selling or the service you provide. More often than not, the kinds of posts that spark the best engagement are ones that have a personal connection.
Scroll through posts you’ve made in the past, and review which ones got the most likes, comments or shares. Did the sales-ey type posts get as much engagement as the picture of that goofy-faced-lab in the workshop?
Run some experiments to see what types of content resonate the most with your audience. It could be photos, articles, stories, videos, gifs, trivia, throwbacks, news… the options are endless! For example – if there’s a new Ford coming out, you could run a poll, create a funny meme relating to the updated model, or ask your customers for their thoughts.
To show your followers that you're worth following, post about things that you genuinely care about or know about – chances are, whatever you’re into, your followers will be too!
3. Use your socials like a website!
If you reckon that having a website is enough to promote your business… think again! While a website is essential to establish credibility and reach new customers – social media accounts tend to be even more effective than your website, because Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok are where people spend their free time!
No matter the platform, you can use your channels to display your contact info, location, reviews, images and videos of your products and services.
Turn your followers into customers by searching for a free bio link tool online. These are essentially one link to a mini webpage where you can easily include and customise multiple links. It could be a quick-link for your customers to snap up a special deal, or an easy-to-find image of a marked-up map so that finding your business is as easy as possible for your customers.
4. Use your social media as an advertising channel
Advertising can be expensive, but social media is the great way to advertise your business. You can do it for free, or put some ad spend behind your content.
Always make sure you keep point #2 in mind, because repeated posts about products, services or sales is going to tire your audience out – fast. Social media is there to help you to create a loyal community online, and that requires genuine engagement between real people. As much as your product or service is probably awesome, we can nearly guarantee that your customers come to you for you, your staff, your attitude, or what your business stands for.
Some free advertising ideas include using hashtags, or social media competitions. Get creative and see what sticks!
5. Remember that social media is… social
In case we haven’t banged on about it enough – social media is all about building connections. Whether you choose to share photos of your team at work, satisfied customers or photos from a local event or charity you support – you’re showing your followers that you’re more than a business – you’re part of the community.
So! How will you build a loyal audience that loves your social media? Put your foot on the gas and rev up your social media game today!
