How To: Use Social Media to Grow Business

by Jacob Fann

In today’s world, the nuances of social media can make or break success in business. This is why so many owners tend to play it safe on social platforms or stray away from using this medium altogether. However, social and digital media today is the equivalent of hanging a flyer on a coffee shop bulletin back in 1995 — necessary.

For those looking to grow a business through social and digital media marketing, here are some tips:

Choose the right platform: Every social platform has a unique audience. This fact means a business’s content strategy must differ across each platform. LinkedIn produces business-to-business content while Facebook and Instagram follow a business-to-consumer model. Additionally, content creation shouldn’t be all about what a business wants to create; the audience and what they want to see should also be considered.

Take advantage of paid advertising: Paid advertising is always important, but the strategy changes based on the company’s size. While large corporations can put millions behind one Google or Facebook ad, a small business can’t financially compete with that, which results in paying for ads that don’t reach the intended audience. Instead, mom-and-pop businesses should focus on a 30-, 60- and 90-day organic lead generation strategy and then utilize a small budget on paid ads to retarget those leads found organically.

Consistency is key: It’s important to remember that social posting needs to be consistent. Many business owners try to handle social media independently, but with so many other responsibilities, posting becomes inconsistent, leading to less audience engagement.

Start with personal connections: No one is going to give a business a better review than family and friends. Entrepreneurs should look to friends, family, neighbors, etc., to help kickstart any business. This provides a level of trust that results in positive feedback and helpful critiques and is an easily accessible arsenal of supporters to organically promote the business whenever possible.

Jacob Fann is founder of Fanntastic Media, which helps clients with digital marketing strategy, lead generation, content creation and more.