This month, Candid Creative Studio launch a brand new social media management service, tailor made with the small, independent and local businesses surround us in mind. We have met many small business owners who understand social media is important, but are not quite sure how it can be used as a powerful professional tool. Social media platforms are a great way to engage with potential customers, drive traffic to your website, create a buzz about your brand and keep up to date with your industry and competitors but it’s important to do it right.
Not sure where you’re going wrong? Take a look at our top 5 social media tips for local businesses:
- Talk local, stay focused
Being part of an online community requires much of the same etiquette as an offline community. You really do get back what you give out. Try to truly engage with local online discussions, re-tweet your neighbours and send positive notes of support. Simply put, share their stories and they will share yours.
Focus on what you love about your local community; it’s common ground and the best conversation starter. Blog posts detailing your favourite local shops and eateries will build an online relationship with those businesses and hopefully one day, they will return the favour.
- Create quality content
Online, content is king. Quality content not only engages your followers, it also helps mightily with online visibility. The more blog posts you write, the more videos you share, the more likely you are to show up on Google. Somebody who may not have been looking for you, may stumble across your content, share your values and interests, and look to your business for the source of it.
However, BEWARE of content overload. Remember, it’s quality not quantity. People will soon get tired of your constant rambles and lose interest of you and your business. Keep it short and sweet and use # to summarise.
- Don’t wear the same dress to every party
So you may be comfortable with Facebook and Twitter, but have you considered Google +, Instagram or Linkedin? The trick here is to treat each platform differently because of course, they have different purposes. It’s all too easy to post exactly the same content to all of your followers, but you shouldn’t.
I remember reading once, that you should think of social media as a party. Linkedin is your corporate breakfast, Instagram is a glamorous cocktail party and Twitter is the more casual get-together in your house. You wouldn’t wear the same dress to all of these parties; the guests and the atmosphere would be completely different. Try to create unique content for each platform to get the most out of your followers.
- Don’t obsess over numbers!
I have met far too many business owners who stress about the number followers (or lack of, in most cases) they have on social media. Take it from a business with (as it currently stands) 423 followers. I would much rather have 423 loyal followers who are going to share my content, and engage in the business rather than 2000 random profiles who just want us to make up their numbers. So follow people who you would like to talk to, and # topics that you want to talk about.
- Be yourself
Much like your offline local community, online is a crowded marketplace, so it’s imperative to get your personality across. Your business succeeds because it’s unique, it offers something unusual or perhaps it reflects your own quirkiness. Offline, this is what your customer buys into, and your social media should be the same. So try not to put too much planning and thought into your next tweet and enjoy the conversation!
For more information on Candid’s new social media management service, head online, or contact beth@candidcreative.co.uk for all the details and prices of our bespoke packages.
Visit our Twitter or Facebook pages for exclusive offers for local businesses.