The value of social media for business applications has grown to a very apparent level. With relative ease and at a low cost, a business can connect with consumers in real time with a variety of messages and communication types (text, photo, video, link, etc.). The amount of consumers utilizing social media is huge, and continuously growing. It is, without a doubt, the next big marketing tool.
For the local small business, social media should be used in a targeted fashion- that is, communicating a proper message to your proper target market. Not every business offering is for everyone, so why speak to those who are not your customer? Instead, speak to those who are most likely to do business with you. If you are a hardware store, speak to the homeowner looking for assistance with projects or to the local contractor looking for a local materials source with good price points and reliable service.
There are several ways to target your message through social media. The first is by selecting the appropriate social media to utilize. Facebook is widely used among all demographics, so this is a go-to for most business-to-consumer companies and even many business-to-business companies. Twitter has a young, trendy audience in addition to a news-hungry audience. If you’re a local frozen yogurt stand, Twitter is a good bet for you. Pinterest has a large female audience, so if you’re a fashion retailer or a yoga studio- be there. If you are mainly business-to-business, get on LinkedIn.
The next way to target through social media is the type of message you send out. If your demographic is looking for expert advice and knowledge from you, then share tips and industry-related articles. If your demographic is looking to have fun and leisure with your business (perhaps you are a bar), post photos and videos that get people excited to get to your location with their friends. Most importantly, don’t be selling all the time! People are using social media to have fun, connect and learn- not to be sold.
The third way to target through social media is actual ads, particularly with Facebook. Through Facebook’s ad program, a business can choose particular demographics (age, interests, location, etc.) to put an ad in front of. The business is then charged per click, up to a particular dollar amount the business chose for their budget when setting up the ad. This is a good way to get your business and a special message/offer in front of people who are not yet following your Facebook Page.
Social media has many great uses and advantages for business. However, a business needs to intelligently utilize these mediums to communicate the right message to the right people. This will bring the greatest engagement, build quality relationships, and drive sales.
