As a small business, social media can absolutely be an effective way to market yourself, whether you provide services, products, or content. However, social media can be truly overwhelming, which means you need a social media marketing plan. How can you make sure that your small business is prepared for your social media venture? Here are some questions to ask when it comes to social media marketing for your small business.
Who Is Your Ideal Customer?
Every business has a different ideal customer. A mall-based retail store selling feminine clothing for young women is obviously looking for a different customer than a hedge fund management firm. Understand what your ideal demographic is going to be before you start social media marketing, as you’ll be able to target that demographic more easily.
How Much Time Can You Dedicate to Social Media Marketing?
When you’re just starting it’s fine to only dedicate an hour or two every week to your social media marketing. As a matter of fact, it’s probably the best option, as your social media marketing won’t pay back much at the beginning. Over time, you can slowly increase the man-hours for your social media marketing.
What Is Your Budget for Social Media Marketing?
At the beginning, you might not really have a budget for social media marketing, which can be fine when you’re just establishing yourself. However, you do need to make sure you eventually invest some money into the marketing process on social media. Figure out how much of your advertising budget you might be able to divert into social media marketing; if it works, you can always adjust and send more of your budget into social media marketing.
Which Platforms Do You Want to Focus on First?
There are many social media platforms out there, and not all of them would work well for your business. Here’s a rundown of some of the most prominent platforms.
- Facebook: 69% of American Adults, Often Older on Average
- Instagram: 37% of American Adults, Many Influencers That Use the Platform
- TikTok: Approximately 100 Million American Users, Younger Audience in General
- Snapchat: Approximately 83 Million American Users, Short Video-Focused
- Goodreads: Approximately 90 Million Members, Aimed at Book Lovers
- Spotify: 286 Million Monthly Users, Allows You to Share Playlists
- Twitter: 353 Million Users, Very Popular for Quick Announcements
- Yelp: 32 Million Monthly Users, a Directory for Your Business
- YouTube: About Two Billion Monthly Active Users, Paid and Organic Advertising
As you can see, different platforms will be better for different companies. Look into the type of content you can share, the general audience that uses the platform, and the existing companies that have gotten big on the platform.
Conclusion
This information is helpful when it comes to creating your social media marketing plan. The social media audience is very helpful, but it can be almost terrifyingly vast. These questions will help you narrow down your options. That way, you can feel more confident moving forward with your social media marketing plan.
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