Top 6 Social Media Do’s and Don’ts for Small to Mid-Sized Businesses
Amplify Your Brand Presence
“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.” – Scott Cook
Social media marketing empowers small to mid-sized businesses to amplify their brand presence and connect with their audience on a grand scale. But there’s a catch. To be successful with it, you require a strategic approach. Let's explore some essential do's and don'ts for your social media planning.
DO
DON’T
Tell your story
Showcase the human side of your business, sharing authentic stories that foster trust and strengthen the emotional connection with your audience.
Establish your strategy and budget
Set clear, tangible goals for your social media strategy so you can measure your results and have a roadmap for the direction, purpose and consistency of a cohesive online presence. Include a budget that factors goals such as increased brand awareness, engagement, lead generation, conversions, and the potential reach and impact on your target audience.
Be systematic
Build a system to ensure regular, reliable content that builds trust and brand recognition with your audience. An added bonus - social media platforms reward consistent activity with better visibility.
Mix it up
Diversify your content and explore various posting features, including stories, carousels, and live videos. Include a variety of visually appealing content, such as images and videos to capture attention and convey your information in a compelling manner.
Be responsive and interactive
Create an environment where your audience feels encouraged to engage and share about their experiences with your brand. Be sure you’re aligning your strategy with the preferences of your target audience while staying true to the nature of your brand. Boost engagement and relationships with your online community by responding promptly, asking permission to feature their user generated content, and genuinely sharing your appreciation. Add a little fun with hashtags, chats, polls and other interactive features available through your social media platforms.
Track the metrics that matter
Monitor the key metrics that align with your business objectives. Understanding the performance of your content strategy helps you refine your approach, understand your target audience and where to focus for best results.
Comprise the human connection
It can be tempting to rely on automated responses and chatbots to save time, but it can make interactions feel impersonal and robotic, eroding the connection between you and your audience.
Be generic
When you’ve done the work to define your niche, services and target market, position yourself as the expert by naming their priorities and pain points as well as the solutions you provide for them. When you are speaking the specific language of your target audience, they will feel like a part of your inner circle, and you’ll build a loyal following.
Allow too many contributors
When multiple individuals post on behalf of your unique brand voice on social media, there's potential risk of inconsistency in messaging, tone, and visuals. This potential inconsistency may impact your brand identity, making it harder for your audience to recognize and connect with your brand.
Post everywhere
Identify and leverage platforms where your target audience is most active. The right ones will enhance the reach and engagement with your target audience and optimize your investment.
Spam your followers
Cluttering your followers' feeds with repetitive or low-quality content erodes brand credibility and the connection they have with your brand. To avoid negative experiences, prioritize quality over quantity. Strike the right balance between regular posting and delivering valuable, relevant content and you’ll continue to grow a loyal following.
Become complacent
Social media is dynamic and you need to adapt to ever-changing trends, technologies and social platforms to evolve, stay relevant, and embrace opportunities that will help you stay ahead of your competition.
By emphasizing the power of storytelling, authenticity, and systematic engagement, you can start amplifying your brand presence and distinguish yourself from your competitors.
The crucial takeaway from this blog, is that responsiveness, engagement, and commitment are key contributors to maintaining a dynamic and evolving social media presence.
That can be a challenge for small and mid-sized businesses. There is not always the capacity or people resources to dedicate to your brand presence. One ore more people are pitching in when there’s time, and it doesn’t ever seem to reach the top of your priority list, so you’re disappointed with your results.
You're not alone. We can help you diversify your content and platforms, ensuring you avoid generic approaches and prevent inconsistency in your brand voice. Through interviews, careful consideration of your strategic brief, adherence to brand guidelines, and the appointment of a dedicated lead, we deliver a unified voice and successful execution of your social media strategy.
Let your Undercover Creators guide you in crafting a clear strategy, budget, and key metrics to achieve your marketing objectives and grow a community around your brand.
Let’s tell your story and meet your objectives. Contact one of our content strategists today at letscreate@undercover-creators.com!