Social Media Basics - for startups that need help using social media

By Robin Anderson

The importance of social media participation for startups cannot be overstated. With billions of people actively using social media platforms, these digital spaces have evolved into bustling marketplaces teeming with potential customers, influencers, and business opportunities. By actively participating in the social media landscape, you open up a world of possibilities to connect with your audience, build brand awareness, and establish your business as a trusted authority in your industry.

This blog is designed to guide you through the process of creating a strong social media presence from scratch. We will explore the key platforms where your business should have a presence, demystify the art of crafting engaging content, and provide you with valuable tips and strategies to maximize your impact on social media. The reality is an active presence on social media is essential to survive. An online presence is how prospective customers locate you, social media is what entices them to visit. And for you, this is the most efficient and cost effective way to market your business.

By following our recommendations and putting them into practice, you will be well on your way to leveraging social media as a valuable asset for your business. Remember, success on social media is not solely measured by the number of followers or likes you accumulate. It is about forging authentic connections, fostering engagement, and delivering value to your audience.

Why Social Media

Think of social media as a dynamic billboard to your business. People far and wide can view your message. Rather than one way communication, like most advertising, it’s two way - which leads to a stronger relationship with your customers. With social media you can:

• Have a conversation with your customers

• Encourage customers to share their stories

• Promptly promote offers for your products or services

• Share relevant news to keep everyone up to date.

Benefits of social media

Reach and Targeted Advertising

Tap into the billions of active users, and reach users who align with your target customer. Social media advertising tools allow you to create highly targeted campaigns based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring that your message reaches the right people at the right time.

Brand Awareness and Visibility

Social media offers a powerful platform to raise awareness about your small business and increase its visibility.

Customer Loyalty

Social media enables direct and meaningful engagement with your audience. By actively participating in conversations, responding to comments, and addressing customer queries or concerns, you can build rapport and strengthen customer relationships.

Market Insights and Feedback

Social media platforms offer valuable insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and trends. By monitoring discussions and analyzing engagement metrics, you can gain a deeper understanding of your target customer and refine your strategies accordingly.

Social media also serves as a feedback channel, allowing you to gather customer opinions, suggestions, and feedback, which can inform business and product improvements, enhancing the customer experience.

Important Considerations

Set Realistic Goals

Raise awareness, increase in-store traffic, drive sales

Define Your Target Market

Identify your target customer, understand their pain points

Select The Right Platform

Pick the platform where your target customers are most active

Create Valuable Content

Create content that is interesting and has value: educational, entertaining, promotional

Use Automation Tools

Save time by using automation tools to schedule posts, gain valuable insights

Review Analytics

Use insights to understand how well your posts are performing along with their reach

HOW-TO Select Your Social Media Platforms

Beginning with Social Media Platforms, here are actionable steps to help you get started. By following the recommendations and putting them into practice, you will be well on your way to leveraging social media as a valuable asset for your business. Remember, success on social media is not solely measured by the number of followers or likes you accumulate. It is about forging authentic connections, fostering engagement, and delivering value to your audience. The best way to help ensure success is to know your target customers, as that will determine which platform you select. 

Select and set up your social media accounts

STEP 1: Pick your platform

STEP 2: Set up a business account

STEP 3: Select a user-name

STEP 4: Build your profile

STEP 5: Create a bio

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Use your business name as your user name to make it easier for customers to find you. Upload your logo, use your storefront as your header, and get creative with your bio.

HOW-TO Create a Social Media Post

STEP 1: Write Content

STEP 2: Include a Call-to-Action

STEP 3: Add Hashtags

STEP 4: Select an Image

STEP 5: Post

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A hashtag is a word or a phrase preceded by a number sign (#). It groups together related content or images that appear in social media, so that users can simply go to that hashtag and see all the connected items. Example: #goodeats might point to inviting restaurants or recipes. However you still should make your hashtag unique enough so that it stands out. It’s valuable to research which keywords and hashtags are most relevant for your type of business. This can help increase the visibility of your posts and make them discoverable to a wider audience when they conduct a search for specific topics. Tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush can help you find relevant keywords with a good search volume and are not overly generic.

Keys to a Successful Post

1. Always include a call-to-action in your post. A call-to-action is what you want the customer to do - write a story, tell a friend, take advantage of a sale, etc.

2. Add two or three hashtags that are common for your business to ensure you will be included in the results upon search. 

3. Post consistently. Your followers will come to rely on seeing your posts - they will look for your new content. It takes time to build an audience.

4. Monitor your posts and the comments/feedback that you receive. Thank those that offer praise. And for those that are negative, always respond with an empathetic note.

5. Review your analytics. Not only will you see the direct responses to your posts, but you will see what posts are more popular than others.

HOW-TO Write Content and Capture Images

Most customers will be attracted to photos and videos, not just text. Each platform has different sizing requirements for your photos and videos (in terms of length). It is important to follow the requirements for your post to display and run correctly. Doing so helps make a professional impression on your customers or future customers.

Pick the right photos and videos

Make sure your visuals are professional and high-quality. With the availability of high resolution cameras that are a part of cell phones, this is something that can be accomplished fairly quickly and with ease. And, ensuring your photo is sized correctly for the social media platform you are using is critical. When doing so, the result is a photo that is displayed clearly, is not pixelated (blurry) or has that awkward image stretching. Also, any copy you include within the image ensures the viewer sees all the information. 

Keep the look and feel consistent for all posts

Take into consideration a style or look that you want with all of your photos. You may choose to frame each photo, or add copy overlaid on the photo. If you are posting elements other than simply a photo, take a look at using a tool, such as Canva to help you with creating and providing consistency of look within each posting.

Prepare the content for your post

Write your caption or more lengthy copy in a clear and concise manner. Depending upon the personality of your establishment, you may want to use a more conversational tone perhaps with humor, for others, a more professional tone will be most appropriate. Make sure to include key details, particularly if you are providing a limited-time offer - and always include a call-to-action.

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For ease in designing professional style posts and helps maintain a consistent look, try using Canva.com. It already has built in social media templates for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, etc, and it’s free. 

With all platforms, it is important to monitor your posts for comments, likes, and shares. Respond to comments and engage with your audience to encourage conversations, and establish connections. This can help to extend the reach and impact of your post.

Time is of the essence. Get started sooner rather than later. It takes time to gain traction, get followers and build your community. 

Need help getting started with social media? Contact Us today!

Fun Fact Friday

One of the first social media sites, SixDegrees.com launchd in 1997. The site allowed you to to create a profile page, add a list of connections and you could send messages within the network. They had around 1 million users prior to being purchased.