Top tips for using social media as a business
There is a constant debate around social media and the true benefits to businesses that use it to engage with their audiences.
However, as a small business owner there are so many plates to spin, surely social media can be outsourced or delegated?
As a digital PR agency, we are often approached by business owners who want to hand us the key to their social media kingdom, it is seen as another thing on the “to do” list that can be done bigger/better/faster by someone else.
Social media is a hugely powerful communication tool and can transform businesses, brands and people but it needs to be consciously considered. It needs full buy in from the entire team including the business owner. It’s your shop window and your customer service rolled into one and it needs to be recognised as an essential part of the running of a business.
A social media strategy should be created by the business owner or a senior bod in the business. With regards to prioritising workloads, the day to day running of social media accounts can be looked after by someone else but only with a thorough briefing, an approved plan and timely checks from the senior team.
Five top tips for using social media as a business:
1. Plan: There’s no need to dive straight into your Tweeting or LinkedIn updates. Take the time to plan and build your content so you know your time spent using social media is going to pay off. If you follow the tips below you’ll be well on your way to the perfect social media plan!
2. Understand your objectives: What does your business want to achieve from using social media. Will LinkedIn help you generate more business leads? How will Twitter help you increase website traffic? Be clear about what you want social media to bring to your business – it may be as simple as raising your business’ profile, but know that before you start.
3. Know who your audience is: This runs across all PR activity; knowing who your audience is will determine the content you share, your tone of voice and the regularity of your communication. It is crucial to identify who it is you will be targeting otherwise your messages may go unheard.
4. Know what you’re going to say: Content is the absolute king when it comes to social media. To build engagement you need to have something interesting to share whether this is about your business, the industry or local community, offering something new and insightful to your audience will help those all-important relationships.
5. Use the right platform: Once your audience is established and you know what you’re going to say, this will help determine what social media channel you should be using. There’s no point setting up a Facebook account if you want to be targeting industry specific professionals who are active on LinkedIn. Take the time to research your audience and become familiar with your chosen channel. Once you are ready to start engaging, your messages will be much more powerful.