How to do social media marketing for small businesses

Social media marketing for small businesses is a strategic approach. While corporate companies have the luxury of dedicated resources and time, small businesses need to be more flexible, nimble and creative.

You can’t just throw money at a problem and hope for the best. You have to be smart about how you use social media to reach your target audience.

Here are all the social media marketing tips you’ll need to market your small business in 2023.

Why Use Social Media for Your Small Business

If you have a business, you have probably spent time learning about social media marketing for small businesses. And not in vain.

There are currently 4.2 billion active social media users. This is almost double what it was just five years ago, in 2017. These users spend an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes on social media each day.

What’s more, social media is no longer just for big businesses. In fact, 71% of SMBs use social media to promote themselves, and 52% post once a day.

If you want to compete, you need to go online. Here are five top reasons to use social media for business.

Attract more potential customers

Every business owner knows how difficult it can be to attract new customers. You can spend hours creating the perfect product and creating an attractive website, but if no one knows you exist, it’s all for nothing.

Social media has leveled the playing field, giving small businesses the opportunity to compete with larger companies for attention. By using social media platforms to create interesting and engaging content, you can reach a wider audience and encourage them to buy from your brand.

Increase your brand awareness

A well-executed social media marketing strategy will lead to increased visibility for your business. When you create interesting, relevant content, people will share it with their followers, which will increase your reach and reach. The more your brand is shown online, the more likely you are that people will find out about it and end up making a purchase.

Better understand your customers

How much do you really know about your customers? While you may have some information about their demographics, social media can help you learn more about their interests, needs, behaviors, and desires. This valuable customer data can be used to improve your social media marketing strategy and ensure you create content that appeals to your target market.

We have collected demographic information for all major social networks. Use it to determine where your audience spends their time online. But remember that these demographics are just an overview.

Better understand your competitors

Your competitors are online. Period. And it is likely that they have already thought about their presence on social networks. By looking at what they’re doing, you can not only get some ideas for your own strategy, but also learn what works well and what doesn’t. This competitor data is an important part of creating a successful social media marketing strategy.

Conducting a competitive analysis can help you learn what works and what doesn’t for other companies like yours. Don’t be afraid to look beyond your main competitors and draw inspiration from business success across all industries.

Build long-term relationships with your clients

Social media isn’t just about posting beautiful photos and witty captions. It’s also about building relationships with your customers. These are the people who will buy your products and services and tell their friends about you, so it’s important to develop these connections.

Demonstrating that you care about your customers and their experience with your business will go a long way in securing a long-term relationship. And as fans share and like your content, you rise up the social algorithms and get new, free exposure.

Keep in mind that the average internet user has 8.4 social media accounts, so you can connect to them on different platforms for different purposes. For example, you can use Facebook to build your audience and generate leads, and Twitter to serve your customers.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of each small business platform below.

Which social media platforms are best for small businesses?

Now that you know how to use social media for small businesses, it’s time to get online.

When you start researching the best platforms and tools for building your social media strategy, don’t make assumptions about where your audience spends their time.

Your instinct may tell you that if you’re targeting Gen Z, you should skip Facebook and focus on Instagram and TikTok. But the data shows that almost a quarter of Facebook users are between the ages of 18 and 24.

If you’re selling to baby boomers, social media might not seem like a top priority. But it should be. Facebook and Pinterest are the most popular social networks for boomers. Adults over 65 are the fastest growing Facebook audience segment.

Choosing platforms doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. You can use different social channels to reach different audiences or achieve different business goals.

Here are the best social media platforms for small businesses.

facebook

No matter how you feel about this social media giant, Facebook is still the most used social media platform in the world. It boasts over 2.9 billion monthly active users and over 200 million businesses.

Facebook is a great platform for small businesses because:

• There’s a wide demographic range. Facebook users cover all age groups, genders and interests.
• It’s reusable. You can create a Facebook page, run ad campaigns on Meta products, track audience data, and set up an eCommerce store, all on one platform.
• It could be a general store. Facebook can provide a complete customer experience, from the first contact to the final sale.

If you’re thinking about using Facebook for your small business, ask the following questions first:

1. Who is your target audience? The age of the most active Facebook audience is from 18 to 44 years. If your target audience falls outside this age range, you may want to consider a different platform.
2. What are your business goals? Goals on Facebook can range from building brand awareness with a Facebook Page to selling items in a Store or through Facebook ad campaigns. Knowing your goals will help you determine if Facebook is the right platform for your business.
3. How much time can you allocate? Research shows that the best way to get results on Facebook is to post 1-2 times a day. If you don’t have time for that, you might want to rethink your resource strategy.

Instagram

While Facebook acts as a one-stop platform, Instagram is where you can get specific information about your niche. For example, if you work in the fashion, food, or film industry, chances are that the majority of your target audience is on Instagram.

It is also worth noting that the platform is aimed at a younger audience – the vast majority of users are from 18 to 34 years old. So if your target audience is baby boomers, you can focus your energy elsewhere.

Instagram is a great platform for small businesses because:

• It offers in-app purchases. Instagram makes it easy for users to buy the products they see in your posts, videos, and stories.
• The platform is visual, making it ideal for businesses in the fashion, beauty, travel, and food industries.
• Instagram users are engaged – the average user spends 11 hours a month on the app.

If you’re thinking about using Instagram for your small business, ask the following questions first:

1. Does my brand look good visually? Instagram is a very visual platform, so your posts need to be engaging.
2. Can I post regularly? Like any social media platform, Instagram requires a constant presence. Posting to Instagram 3-7 times a week is recommended.
3. Do I have time to create compelling content? If you don’t have the time or resources to create high-quality content, Instagram may not be the best platform for your business.

Twitter

Another platform with universal appeal is Twitter. Twitter is the 9th most visited website in the world and has over 200 million daily active users. Twitter users are also active buyers, with 16% of internet users aged 16-64 reporting that they use Twitter for brand research, and 54% reporting that they are likely to buy new products. For advertisers, Twitter’s CPM is the lowest of any major platform.

Twitter is a great platform for small businesses because it:

• Spoken: Twitter is for communication. It could be between you and your customers, or between you and other businesses.
• Real-time: Twitter is where people go to find out what’s going on right now. This is why news organizations and journalists love Twitter.
• Using hashtags: Hashtags are a great way to introduce your content to people who are interested in the topic.

If you’re thinking about using Twitter for your small business, ask the following questions first:

1. Are your customers on Twitter? Twitter is great for building relationships, but if your customers aren’t active on the platform, it might not be worth your time.
2. What content will you be sharing? Twitter is a great platform for sharing news and updates quickly, but if you mostly post images or longer content, you might be better off using a different platform.
3. Do you have the resources to dedicate yourself to Twitter? We recommend tweeting at least 1-5 times a day. If you don’t think you can do it, Twitter might not be the best platform for your small business.

tik tak

You may be thinking that TikTok marketing is not right for your brand. But even well-established brands with audiences far beyond Gen Z are experimenting with the platform.

@washingtonpost

The Lower 48 states are seeing the coldest temps of the season so far due to a blast of Arctic air ❄️ #winteriscoming #winter #snow #coldoutside

♬ original sound — Colin Riggy Rigg

TikTok is a great platform for small businesses because:

• These are equal conditions. You don’t need a huge budget to produce quality content.
• It’s all about creativity. If you can be creative and think outside the box, you’ll be fine on TikTok.
• There are many opportunities for virality. If your content is good, it has a chance of being seen by millions of people.

If you’re thinking about using TikTok for your small business, ask these questions first:

1. Do you have time to create TikTok videos? While you don’t need an entire production team, creating a TikTok video and posting consistently takes time.
2. Is your target audience using TikTok? Keep in mind that the TikTok audience leans towards the 18-24 range. So, if you’re marketing to Gen Z or young millennials, TikTok is definitely worth considering.
3. Do you have creative video ideas? If you’re not sure what content would look good on TikTok, take the time to browse the app and get inspired.

pinterest

Over the past years, Pinterest has evolved from a creative directory platform to one of the most powerful visual search engines on the web today. Not only do Pinterest users love to discover and save new ideas, but they are also increasingly using the platform to make purchasing decisions.

Pinterest is a great platform for small businesses because:

• This is a positive space. 8 out of 10 Pinterest users say the platform makes them feel good. Being on a positive platform can help your brand’s image and reputation.
• It’s very visual. People love images because 90% of the information sent to the brain is visual. Pinterest is the perfect place to share beautiful images of your products or services.
• You can attract a new audience. Because Pinterest is a visual search engine, you have the opportunity to be found by people who are actively looking for products and services similar to yours.

If you’re thinking about using Pinterest for your small business, ask the following questions first:

• Do you have enough visual content to use Pinterest? As we said above, Pinterest is a visual platform. You will need high quality images to make your Pins stand out.
• Is your target audience active on Pinterest? Women aged 25-34 make up 29.1% of Pinterest’s ad audience, while men make up just 15.3%.
• Do you have items to sell on Pinterest? 75% of weekly Pinterest users say they are always shopping, so make sure you have something to offer them.

YouTube

YouTube is the world’s most popular video-sharing social network, boasting a potential ad reach of 2.56 billion people. YouTube offers not only a huge audience, but also an effective platform for promoting products and services.

YouTube is a great platform for small businesses because:

• You can drive traffic to your site. By including a link to your website in your YouTube videos, you can drive traffic to your website.
• You can improve your SEO. YouTube videos frequently appear in Google search results, which can help improve your site’s SEO.
• You can increase brand awareness. YouTube is a huge platform with a very active user base. Use it to post compelling video content that will help build your brand awareness.

If you’re thinking about using YouTube for your small business, ask the following questions first:

1. Do you have content creation resources? Unlike TikTok, making a YouTube video requires more than just shooting a short clip on your phone. You need to have a decent camera and some editing skills (or access to someone who does).
2. Do you have something unique to say? YouTube already has a lot of content, so you need to make sure you have something unique and interesting to say before starting a channel. Ask yourself: what can I offer that other companies in my industry don’t?
3. Can you stick to a regular download schedule? Once you start a YouTube channel, you should be able to upload new videos regularly. It can be once a week, once a month, or even once a day, but consistency is key.

Small Business Social Media Tips

Once you’ve found the right platforms for your social media marketing, it’s time to start posting. Here are some social media business tips to help you get started.

1. Plan Your Content Ahead

The number one mistake small businesses make on social media is posting content on the fly. While it might seem easier to spend a little time each day thinking up something to post, it can actually take longer (and stress) in the long run.

Creating a social media content calendar can help you plan your content ahead of time and avoid last-minute scrambling. It’s also easier to come up with a combination of content (like blog posts, images, infographics, etc.) when you have time to think about it.

When creating a content calendar, be sure to include:

• The type of content you will be posting (e.g. blog post, image, infographic, etc.)
• Publication date
• Social network where you will post
• Link to content (if applicable)
• Brief Description of Content
• Copy to include in message text
• Any campaigns, special holidays or important dates to be aware of
• Any links, tags or hashtags you want to include in the post

If you don’t know where to start, check out our free content calendar templates. Or watch this helpful video for a visual walkthrough.

2. Schedule posts

Once you have this calendar, you can pre-create your social media posts and use scheduling tools like Hootsuite to automatically post them at the right time.

Planning your posts ahead of time allows you to dedicate one block of time per day or even per week to creating your social content. This is much more effective than letting social media posts distract you from other business tasks throughout the day.

Automation tools like chatbots and AI content creation tools can also help you cut down on the hours you spend on social media marketing.

3. Get Involved in Community Management

Of course, posting creative content is important. But if you really want to see the results of small business social media marketing, you need to take on community management.

Community management is the process of building a community with your customers through your online interactions. This may include responding to comments, answering questions, and interacting with customers on social media.

Think of it as an extension of customer service. You must interact with your audience in the same way that they interact with you. This way you can build a network of customers who feel connected to your brand and are more likely to become loyal repeat customers.

Community management is also an important part of ranking in social media algorithms. Platforms reward active and engaged users, so the more you interact with your audience, the more likely you are to appear in their feeds.

Use Hootsuite streams to like, comment, reply and engage with your target audience. You can also use Hootsuite Inbox to keep track of all the conversations you need to take part in without missing anything important.

4. Pay attention to trends

We’re not saying you should jump on every meme that goes viral. (Actually, please don’t jump on every meme that goes viral.)

But it’s worth paying attention to social media trends so you understand what people are looking for when they enter their social channels. This will help you create relevant content that will resonate over time.

If you have the time to dedicate to it, social listening is a very valuable information gathering tool that can help you understand what your audience (and potential audience) might want to hear from your business. This is very easy to do with a tool like Hootsuite.

You can simply set up a stream of your brand mentions on different social networks so that you can immediately respond to problems or positive reviews and follow the opinion of your business.

5. Sell products on social media

In recent years, social media marketing has come to include social commerce: the ability to sell your products directly from social channels. And business is booming, with a projected global market value of $492 billion in 2022.

Almost every social platform now boasts some form of social selling. There are Facebook and Instagram stores, purchasable Pinterest pins, a TikTok store, and more.

Social commerce is a particularly useful tactic for small e-commerce or retail businesses. The beauty of this is that you can cut down on many of the hassles associated with online sales. Your potential customers are already on social media, so they don’t have to go through the process of visiting your website and going to your product pages. And because you meet them where they already are, you’re much more likely to make a sale.

6. Use analytics for future posts

Even for small businesses, it’s important to keep track of what’s working and what’s not on social media. Social media analytics tools can help you track your progress over time and identify which posts generate the most engagement – ​​likes, comments, posts, clicks, etc.

This data can be extremely valuable when planning future content. If you see that a particular type of post is doing well, try to replicate that success in future posts. And if you notice that certain types of posts aren’t performing well, experiment with new content to find the best way to engage your audience.

Analytics can also help you understand which social media platform is best for your business. If you see that you are getting more engagement on one platform than another, you might want to consider switching. You don’t have to be everywhere, so stick to the platforms that give you the best results.

Social media management tools for small businesses

If you’re like most small business owners, you wear a lot of hats. You are the CEO, CFO, and sales superstar. No wonder marketing often takes a backseat!

But even if you are not a marketer, this does not mean that you cannot effectively promote your business on social networks. In fact, with a little help from the right tools, you can actually save time and energy by using social media to reach your target audience.

Hootsuit

Obviously we’re a bit biased, but we think Hootsuite is especially useful for small business owners. Hootsuite is a social media management platform that gives you the ability to track and post on all your social networks in one place, which will save you a lot of time in the long run.

It also offers guidance on when to post, what content to post, and how to interpret your work. So it’s a beginner-friendly platform for people who don’t have much time to create the perfect strategy.

Don’t believe us? Check out this 5-star review from Todd W., who doesn’t have many people to help him with social media marketing.

“Hootsuite has proven invaluable as we work to plan our social media calendar for the month, especially with limited staff. We can create and schedule posts and see where our planning leaves “gaps” in our social media coverage.” – Todd W.

Hootsuite’s integration with Grammarly can also help you avoid annoying typos or mistakes in your social media posts.

The last feature of Hootsuite that we think is very useful for time-strapped small business owners?

If you ever get stuck with content ideas, just go to the Inspiration tab and use the template to get started.

What about native instruments?

Hey, we understand that spending money on another monthly subscription might not be in the cards for your small business, especially when the networks offer free tools. But here’s the thing: these native tools have limitations.

For example, let’s say you want to post the same message on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. In most social media management tools, you will have to enter this message three times – once for each network. But with Hootsuite, you can compose one message and publish it on all three networks at once. This means you spend less time on social media and more time growing your business.

In addition, the free tools offered by the networks only give you a limited view of your social media performance. With Hootsuite Analytics, you can track your posts and tweets to see which are generating the most engagement so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

So if you’re serious about using social media to grow your small business, investing in a tool like Hootsuite can save you money in the long run.