Using Social Media to Promote Your Business

When it comes to spreading the word about your business, promoting your brand on social media has become one of the biggest go-to strategies for any successful operation. Whether you’re marketing through Facebook and Instagram or even expanding outward with Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube, there’s a bevy of ways that you, as a business owner or marketing manager, can take advantage of all that social media has to offer. Not only are these platforms free to join, but they can also allow for a great deal of creativity and flexibility.

Before you begin to develop a solid social media plan for your overall marketing strategy, take a look at these tips:

• Research the best platforms for your brand.  It’s true that not all social media platforms are created equal – some can drive better traffic than others, especially depending on your type of business. One way to get a head start is to research your competitors (both local and nationwide) and see what platforms they use, how they market, and how many likes / comments / shares they get. If you own a business that sells on visual impact, Instagram is one of the most popular, as it’s based on photo and video sharing, and can be linked to your business’s Facebook account as well.

• Share posts on a regular schedule.  Not only will this keep you on track, but it’ll also make it easier for you to manage your regular business operations. Facebook allows you to schedule posts in advance, and there are a number of independent platforms that allow you to schedule posts to varying social media platforms in advance. Many marketing teams find that scheduling posts for midday can garner a wider amount of views and clicks.

• Take advantage of the flexibility of each platform.  As stated above, not all social media platforms are created equal – because they all offer different ways to convey your message and your brand. Facebook is useful for linking articles related to your business platform and for sharing information; Instagram and Pinterest offer a unique visual component; and for video sharing, which has become quite popular with brands around the country, you can’t go wrong with YouTube, but Instagram and Snapchat have also expanded their video sharing outreach as well.

• Don’t be afraid to mix it up from time to time.  Sometimes it can take a while for your business’s social media pages to gain traction, and that’s okay. Take a look at what’s working and stick to it – and omit any plan that isn’t driving traffic and might be weighing down your overall plan. As always, keep an eye on your competitors and see what’s driving their success, and take notes.