Four Social Media Tips for Businesses
So you’ve decided to launch a new business, you’ve got your finalized logo ready and your website design is underway but there is still the lingering task of creating a social media account.
Cue the game of 21 questions.
What platforms should I focus on?
What do I post?
How often should I share?
How much time should I spend on social media each day?
Are my iPhone pictures good enough?
What are Reels?
Do I need to be on Twitter? TikTok? Clubhouse?
...and the list could go on, Know the feeling? We thought so! Which is why we’re here to tell you, you’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the daunting, ever-changing world of social media. If you are ready to create a new account for your brand, here are FOUR easy tips to start with before publishing your first post.
Step One: Establish your audience
It’s extremely important to know + understand who your audience is and what kind of content will resonate with them the most. If you don’t already have an idea of who your target market might be, we’d recommend researching other businesses similar to yours or within the same industry and get a feel for who their followers are and what posts are getting the most engagement. You’ll also be able to see what doesn’t work well and adjust your own content accordingly.
Step Two: Decide which platforms are best for you
You don’t need to be on every platform, but you should be on the right ones! Once you know who your target audience is, then you can weed out some of the platforms that don’t cater to those you want to reach. For example, if your main consumers are working moms or stay at home moms, then Facebook + Instagram would be the best places to connect with them. If you’re a personal brand wanting to share more about your business/career, then LinkedIn is a must, along with Instagram + Facebook. Each outlet offers different benefits depending on the products or services you’re trying to sell.
Step Three: Create a social calendar
In order to beat the algorithms (that always seem to be changing) it’s important to post consistently, so your content is being pushed to the forefront of your followers. To start out and avoid getting overwhelmed, we suggest posting 3-5 days a week, while also sharing real-time content to your stories every day. It seems like a lot, but that’s where the social calendar comes in -OR- LEO + LAINE ;). If you take the time to plan out what and when you’ll be posting, in advance, then it reduces the time + thought needed for your daily posts. Plus, it helps you not forget to post when your days get busy!
What our team does for our clients is plan out content two weeks at a time, captions + posting time included, allowing us to make sure enough is being shared each week and during peak engagement times. If you aren’t able to hire a marketing team like LEO + LAINE, we do encourage you to assign one experienced person to manage your social media. You will quickly learn how time consuming it can be, especially when you have so many other responsibilities that come with running your business.
Step Four: Focus on quality over quantity
Last but definitely not least, quality over quantity ALWAYS! When you’re first starting out, invest up front in professional photos. You want the time and effort you’ve put into starting your business to be represented in the best possible way which is most likely not the lower quality photos you have stored away on your phone. Be thoughtful + strategic in what you’re sharing, don’t just throw content out there so you can say you have an Instagram or Facebook page. Think of your social media pages as your virtual storefront! Clean, concise + welcoming with plenty of content sharing exactly what it is that you offer and sell. :)
Marketing shouldn't be an afterthought! We know first-hand that there are many moving parts that go into running and owning a business. In order for your business to be successful, it’s going to be extremely important to spend a little extra time (and sometimes money) to plan out what you want to share on social media and who you’re hoping to reach.
Cheers, LEO + LAINE
