Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Business Owners

Being a Small business owner I understand when budgets get stretched thin and losing money marketing becomes terrifying. When we first opened I spent (lost) money in magazine ads, radio ads, and Google ads. Looking back I chalk that part of my business career as a crash course in marketing… It helps me sleep telling myself that excuse. I was basically throwing money into the wind and hoped someone saw an ad or heard my ad, but in reality I was throwing useful money away. Here is my story of how I was able to cut my marketing budget in half and quadruple sales.

Social Media Marketing is Free….. Raise your hand if you have heard that, just kidding put your hand down. This is far from the truth! Social Media will sap the most valuable asset you have, your time. However, if used correctly your time spent learning and practicing social media skills will pay off in spades for you and your business. Only my wife knows how many hours I have spent researching and practicing the different social media marketing techniques. Staying up reading all night and practicing all day is not for everyone. Here are the Clift Notes of what I learned.

Follow a Professional

You want to stay ahead of the curve in the Social Media Marketing world? Read and Follow people who do it for a living! My personal favorite is Gary Vaynerchuk. He is not for everyone as he is brutally honest and is straight forward. He has different avenues in regards to content, he has an Ask Garyvee show that is top notch. He also has a Dailyvee that follows him around. He is a constant on SnapChat and writes blogs on a regular basis.

Find a local Professional who knows what they are talking about. This can be tricky as “Everyone” is a Facebook expert or Instagram genius. Review these peoples’ pages, interview them, and make them show you their knowledge. If you really want to understand the depth of their knowledge interview 3 different people and compare the answers. I recently started working with The Smoothbear who is a Genius on Snapchat and can take your Instagram account and make it interesting for your clients.

Know Your Platform

Each Social Media Platform has its positives and weaknesses. Each platform takes time and if you are not sure which platform is right for you, then you will have wasted a lot of time. When I first started I was full of energy and had that I will use them all spirit. A week later and 50 hours later, I was changing my tone. My business is a Medical Spa that does not have customers in other states or in other areas of Florida. So why was I using Twitter? Twitter is great for national presence if you are selling a product online but for me it was a waste of time.

For my business I found my sweet spot with Facebook power editor. I was able to Target Market exactly who I reached, where they were being reached, and on what device they were going to be reached on. The Return on Investment has been amazing for my business and only gets better and better the more I use Power Editor. I also have used Snapchat very effectively. We have had clients say they love our behind the scene look into the life of a small business owner. These two platforms worked for me, will they work for you? It all depends on where your audience is located. Wasting time on a platform that does not help is not a good idea for a small business owner.

Engage Your Audience

The reason for Social Media is to stay in touch with people. If one of your followers has taken the time to write something on a post, make sure you engage with them. Don’t be that person that just likes what they said. Reply with commentary on their comment. Even if it is as little as a Thank You for your comment it shows you took the time and connected with that person. You know what happens the more people are commenting and replying on your post? It grows organically and more people will see your posts.

These are just 3 quick steps to better your social media network. I could write pages and pages of ways to improve your social media marketing, but would you read it? If you practice these 3 tips I promise your Social Media marketing will get better and before you know it you will be a Social Media “Expert”