5 Hacks To Level Up Your Small Business’ Social Media

Taylor Walker

We’ve all seen it.

You’re scrolling through your timeline and there it is.

That corny, stock photo a local business shares on their profile just for the sake of posting. Bonus points if it’s a “National” Pancake-Bicycle-Chocolate Cake-Macarena Day.

Does it actually interest that businesses audience? Or do followers scroll past without batting an eye?

Chances are that generic post is off-putting to followers who actually want to engage with you. Before you schedule the next month’s worth of content put these 5 hacks to use!

 

Pick Your Platforms Wisely

First things first.

Look a what social media platforms you have an business profile on and which platforms you consistently add content to?

So many small business owners want to reach a wide range of users, but it’s important to scale and identify where your efforts go the farthest.

If your business has a page on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, but you only consistently post to Instagram- you’re spread way to thin.

Choose 2 to 3 social media channels to pour into and post regularly to get the most out of each platform!

 

Focus On Engagement

Vanity KPIs- impressions, reach, profile visits to name a few. These all play a part when used in tandem with specific social media goals, but never a good metric to measure as a standalone number.

The real measurement of successful social posts is engagement. Engagement rates, specifically, are metrics that track how actively involved your audience is with the content you post.

Engagement Rate= (# of interactions/reach) * 100

Customers who are highly engaged with your small business’ social media page will like, comment, or even share the content you post. This is how you gauge the effectiveness of your page- not by how many profiles a post reached.

This also means that you should engage with your audience!

Show users that your business is interested and eager to participate in the conversation being created. This helps you two fold with brand building and additional exposure on the post thanks to the increased interactions.

 

Share User-Created Content

Finding inspiration for continuous content can be tough. Enter: user generated content!

User generated content can be anything from a review to a video, but the premise of it’s draw is that it is original content that comes from a real person- not a brand. Having a hashtag for your small business is an easy way to help users mention your business and connect people who view that hashtag to your customer base on social media.

This can be be a real gold mine for future posts! Tap into that audience and get ready to share how your business directly affects customers!

 

Fine Tune Your Profile

Sometimes what’s not so obvious is the extent to which your profile is actually built out.

Be sure to include:

  • Clear profile image- whether that be a headshot or a logo, make it readable!
  • Interesting bio- make it stand out and grab the attention of the profile visitor!
  • Link to your website- don’t miss out on potential website traffic. No site? Link to another social profile on a different platform!
  • Physical location and phone number- great to establishing a local business to drive foot traffic!
  • Call-To-Action buttons like ‘Schedule An Appointment’- if it applies of course!

Adding relevant information is key in helping a profile visitor understand your small business and make a great first impression.

 

Don’t Skimp On Stories

Make sure you’re utilizing all the tools your platform has to offer!

This means stories on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Starting a live stream on Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn. Or even polls on LinkedIn or within an Instagram story!

Using different features addresses all types of users and their browsing preferences. Just because traditional posts work great for your business, doesn’t mean your missing out on additional opportunities on the platform.

 

 

References:

Beveridge, C. (2022, January 14). What is User-Generated Content? And Why is it Important? Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard. https://blog.hootsuite.com/user-generated-content-ugc/

Sauthier, A. (2021, December 10). Are You Using The Right Formula To Calculate Your Social Media Engagement Rate? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/05/14/are-you-using-the-right-formula-to-calculate-your-social-media-engagement-rate/?sh=a73e85450b8c