Being on social media is an absolute must nowadays for every business. From sharing updates about the organization, to building relationships with customers, to addressing customer service issues, social media offers a unique medium to speak with customers. But for some, social media can seem like an unknown, scary activity that can be overwhelming to implement and manage. As a result, a lot of small business’ social media accounts have few postings and minimal followings, or worse, they don’t have any social presence at all. If you’re looking to kick your social media efforts up a notch, follow these best practices to get you started.
Complete your profiles
At the very least, your profile should have a photo, which should be a high-res image of your company logo. Beyond that, fill in the profile section as much as possible with your company’s service or product, a brief history, mission statement, and contact information.
Understand each network
Effective social media isn’t all about cat videos and selfies. Facebook has a different culture than Twitter and LinkedIn, so it’s important that you understand the distinction. Spend some time listening, observing, and learning the nuances of each community..
Be responsive and accessible
If your followers are asking questions, answer them promptly. If there will be a delay in providing the answer, let them know you will get back to them as soon as you can. You cannot foster an open dialogue if you aren’t responsive.
Consistency is key
Determine which social media channels will yield the best results and most engagement with your target audience and then work with your team to determine when you’ll publish on each channel. Here is a general guideline:
- Twitter: 3-5 tweets a day
- Facebook: 1 post a week
- LinkedIn: 1-2 posts a week
Be personable
Your followers want to know there is an actual person behind the tweets and posts. Talking about topics that aren’t specific to your business and product will help to make this distinction.
What’s most important to understand is that being active on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn isn’t going to single-handedly close more sales for your business, although it may be a byproduct. Your killer social strategy is a way to build relationships with your customers, create awareness about your product or service, and improve customer satisfaction and experience.
At Insightly, we offer a CRM used by small and mid-sized businesses from a huge variety of verticals. Learn about all of Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial.
