5 Effective Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Drive growth and generate sales

Globally, 59.4% of people are on social media. When you look at just the U.S., that percentage grows to a staggering 91.56%.^1,2

With so many people on social platforms, getting your message out there is a great way to gain customer insights, increase awareness and grow your business. 

Social media marketing is not one-size-fits-all, though. With an array of platforms and trends, it can be challenging to stay on top of what works best. These social media marketing tips for small businesses will help you capture and grow an audience. 

Social media marketing tips for small business

The biggest benefit of social media marketing is it allows you to drive customers to your website or business for a relatively low cost. By following just a few social media marketing tips for small businesses, you can create a social media presence that will help you hit your targets. 

1. Set goals

Setting goals will help you figure out what you want to achieve with your social media marketing. It will also help you stay on track and measure your progress. 

Use SMART goals: 

• Specific: The more specific your goals, the better.

• Measurable: Measuring your goals helps you track your progress.

• Attainable: Goals should be challenging but realistic to achieve.

• Relevant: Stick with what will grow your business.

• Timely: Goals with a clearly defined deadline tend to be better drivers than open-ended ones.
  

An example of a SMART social media marketing goal is to “grow your Facebook audience to 3,000 followers by the end of 2024.” This sets a clear expectation, is measurable and sets a deadline. From there, you can break your goals down even further, giving yourself a clear, step-by-step plan to ensure long-term goals stay attainable.

2. Focus on your audience

There are a lot of social media platforms, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. No list of social media tips for small business marketing can capture the nuances of all of them. With some research and understanding of your target audience, you’ll be able to focus on the platforms where you’re most likely to reach them. 

"Small businesses are so well suited to deeply understand their audience and that translates to the ability to create super relevant social content,” explained Dawn Nichols, Head of Digital Strategy at Walmart. “They can be hyper-targeted and get that message in front of the exact right audience in a very authentic way."

If the average age of your customers skews between 25–34, Facebook is probably your best bet.³ If you’re targeting GenZ, focus on TikTok. Instagram is a great place for sharing images and stories.

Once you decide where you want to focus your attention, brainstorm some content ideas you think will resonate with your audience (and keep an eye on engagement to see what sticks). While your content doesn’t have to be strictly related to your brand, it helps if it’s related to your industry. 

3. Be persistent

Social media is a great way to grow your business, but it takes time to build a following.

The key is persistence. Make regular posts even if your initial engagement is low. Followers may look at your post history when they first discover your brand, and the more content you have available, the more there will be for them to discover and like.

Creating a content calendar is one way to keep on task. Create posts in advance and schedule them for when the largest percentage of your audience is most likely to be online. For most users, this is during the work day or after dinner between 7–9pm.

Also, keep in mind that focusing on quality over quantity will yield better results. One high-quality post per week is better than several lower-quality posts per day.

4. Keep your content fresh

Vary your approach and the types of content you create to avoid getting stuck in a creative rut. One week, you may want to join in on a hot TikTok trend, while another you may want to poll your audience about their hobbies or write a longer post commenting on industry trends. 

Hootsuite recommends the 80/20 rule⁴:

• 80% of your posts should inform, educate or entertain your audience.
• 20% of your posts can directly promote your brand.

5. Track your progress

Keep an eye on your social media engagement. Is your follower count rising or falling? Do certain kinds of posts regularly earn a lot of likes? The more information you have, the better you can tailor your content to please your audience and make them slam that subscribe button. 

"Take advantage of the built-in optimization tools available in each social platform,” Nichols said.  “Take the free training if needed. Build a content publishing calendar. Consistency is key when building a social presence."

While most social media platforms have internal tracking features for their own statistics, Google Analytics is a great tool for determining who’s visiting your website, where they are coming from and how long they are spending there. 

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Sources:

1. Social media - Statistics & Facts, Statista

2. Social media usage in the United States - Statistics & Facts, Statista

3. Share of Facebook users in the United States as of August 2023, by age group, Statista

4. Social Media Marketing Guide, Hootsuite

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