If there’s one way that technology has significantly changed our personal lives, it’s with the arrival of social media. More than half of the world’s population now use social media, with numbers surging over the last 12 months. 

But what does this mean for small businesses? Well, first and foremost it means that social media is where your customers are spending their lives, so you need to be there too. Unsurprisingly, 73% of businesses claim that engaging in social media marketing is effective for their growth, and the majority of the market are using social media to research products to buy.

Many small businesses are already using social media to reach their customers and increase their growth. However, with more and more businesses joining, the market can be quite saturated. So how do you take your small business’ social media presence to the next level? There are plenty of ways to try in 2022 to achieve your goals, and here are 4 key ones. 

1. Review your business goals and target audience 

Sure, you want to focus on making your social media account and platforms stylish and eye-catching to your audience. However, it’s better to keep in mind that your goal is not to simply make your social media account look aesthetically pleasing, but on your business goals. Whether it be selling products, increasing engagement, or building brand awareness, keep your brand goal front of mind and let social media support you in achieving this.

Going into the new year, it’s also best practice to review your ideal customer’s likes and dislikes, current actions, and even the social media trends they’re interested in. This helps you get to know your audience better and come up with an effective social media strategy. 

2. Pick the right channel 

Truth be told, there are a lot of social media platforms out there that you can use for your small business. It’s important to choose the right platforms for your business to focus its energy on, and this platform should align with the ones that are frequently used by your target audience. 

How would you like to connect with your audience? What would be your main focus and goals? You have lots of options to choose from and you shouldn’t discount any until you’ve done your research (yes, that includes TikTok!). As everyone knows, Facebook is the largest platform with more than 2 billion active users, which may seem ideal for connecting to your target customers. However, it’s an aging platform, meaning it may not be where you should focus your energy if you’re looking to reach Gen Z customers. You can also use a combination of platforms to achieve different goals, for example using Twitter for exposure and Pinterest for sharing your blog posts and driving traffic to your website.

3. Set up your strategy 

Once you’ve decided on your social media platforms and pin down business goals, it’s time to set up your social media marketing strategy. Your strategy will be the blueprint for your success, containing all the necessary plans and information you need to meet your goals as a business. 

If you’re a small business, you might not have the budget to hire an expert to do this for you, but it’s certainly something you can plan in-house. Creating a social media plan collates all of the information and skills you need to handle and manage your social media brand in one place. You should also monitor your strategy regularly. For more tips on creating a social media plan, read this in-depth article or see 6 steps to getting started.

If you have a bigger budget, you can also hire a social media manager who can do the job for you. While hiring a professional could mean shedding money, you can save time on your part while also expecting good results that would contribute to your success. 

4. Let your brand speak 

Here’s a fact: you are not the only one who uses social media to market products and services. You are bound to have competitors that sometimes perform better or have a stronger presence in your industry. Though this might frustrate you as a small business owner, it’s important to focus on what makes you unique.

Letting your brand speak for itself and establishing your individual brand identity is one of the best things you can do on social media. Here are few things you can do:

• Decide on a brand colour palette that represents your personality and catches your audience’s attention.

• Include more personalised posting in your social media content plan, such as quotes from your team or experts that mean something to your audience, top tips, product photos, etc.

• Don’t just schedule: jump on the platforms yourself and have conversations with the people that engage with your content. This will allow you to build a relationship with your audience and personalise your brand.

The competition among businesses, including small and medium ones, is tightening. Keep tabs on how the market is changing and how the social media platforms are evolving and, most importantly, keep your customers front and centre of your mind. If you want to attract more customers and grow your business in 2022, now’s the time to level up your social media strategy.  

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