One of the most popular formats for a business blog is Q&A, though I didn’t often take advantage of it myself until my blog, Answering Your Burning Small Business Marketing Questions: Volume One. In writing that blog, I realized I couldn’t get to nearly as many questions as I thought, so I promised a follow-up, and here it is: Answering Your Burning Small Business Marketing Questions: Volume 2: More Burning, More Business.
Since I’ve answered the basics, today I will go a little deeper about social media.
Do You Need To Be On Every Social Network?
Here’s an easy one…and you’ll like the answer! No! You don’t need to be on every social site.
We all have limited time, so don’t stretch yourself so thin you give up. It’s kind of like exercise. If you say you’re going to run 10 miles a day and you’ve never run more than a block, chances are you’ll give up quickly.
So start small with the sites that make the most sense for your business.
What Social Media Sites Should Your Business Be On?
There is not one answer that applies to every business regarding which social networks to participate in, but there are some good rules of thumb.
Where are your customers? Do you market primarily to youth? If so, you better be on TikTok.
Do you serve other businesses? If so, LinkedIn is crucial to your successful marketing.
Do you exist? Then, you should have a Google Business Page.
My most popular package includes up to 3 social media sites with up to 3 posts a week on each. The client can pick any three, but generally, the musts are Facebook and Google. The third depends on the business.
Why Google and Facebook?
Google accounts for over 90% of online searches depending on who you ask. Yowza! Even lower estimates put them at over 80%! You can’t afford not to be on Google!
Yet most businesses don’t fully take advantage of their Google Business Page, and many don’t even know what it is!
Your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is where customers go to review your business. Whenever you do an online search on Google, that’s where you see the star rating.
Savvy business owners also post once a week or more on there. That post keeps you relevant and automatically gives you more space in a Google search of your business. It also appears to provide you with a boost from Google (and Google-dependant) search.
Facebook isn’t the cool new kid on the block anymore, but it still is a major power player. For many individuals, Facebook basically is the internet!
Some people search primarily through Facebook, so not being there can cause you to lose business. But just having a profile isn’t enough.
Most of us have had the experience of looking at a business’s Facebook page, seeing they haven’t posted in a while, and wondering if they’re still in business. That can be enough to send someone to a competitor!
How Often Should You Post?
Business Owner: How often should I post?
POP: How often can you post – and this is the essential qualifier – consistently?
Anyone who knows me in a business setting has heard me talk about the POP marketing formula—2QC, which stands for Quality, Quantity, and Consistency.
Consistency is what matters most, followed by Quality.
Consistency:
- Don’t start strong and peter out.
- Be realistic with yourself. If you can’t count on posting every day for the life of your business, don’t start off that way.
- If you have lots of ideas, schedule some for later!
Quality: The only reason Quality is second instead of tied for first is that as long as you at least hit “good enough,” your social will help you. Share valuable content, and don’t advertise! No one wants to read an ad.
Quantity: More is better, but only if you meet the two more important criteria.
Many business owners understandably don’t have the time to hit all 3, which is why it often makes sense to hire a professional marketer.
What About Ads?
Contrary to popular belief, online ads are the most straightforward form of marketing to do on your own. I’m not saying you shouldn’t hire a pro since it’s always best to do so if you can afford it. But if you can’t hire a professional to do all your online marketing, this is the part you should handle on your own.
Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook ads do an excellent job of showing novices how to create and target their ads, so there’s not a lot of guesswork. Best of all, creating ads doesn’t take the same time commitment as blogging or even consistently posting on social media.
Marketers can still help you with ads. They may have better ideas about who to target and how, but if your budget is limited, start elsewhere.
Who Should Post?
Again, this isn’t a simple answer. So I’ll ask another. Who is trained to post?
Your business should have standards for your posts, and anyone with access to your social profiles should know them. Stick with your brand value and brand values, and keep different site styles in mind.
What works for TikTok won’t necessarily work for LinkedIn!
Once Again, There Are So Many Small Business Marketing Questions to Answer!
Social Media is one critical element of your marketing strategy, but it shouldn’t end there. You need a website as your home base and a consistent brand. I also encourage blogging.
But today, I’ve just scratched the surface! People get paid to market for you because there’s a lot to it! With that, we understand that not every business has the budget to pay for local small business marketing, so we remain committed to providing you with resources to help you along until you’re ready to work with us.
Thanks for checking out your friendly neighborhood marketer!
