With 20.5 million Aussies using social media platforms, social media is one of the most powerful ways for your small business to reach and engage with customers in the digital age. However, social media marketing for small business is about more than just having a presence on Facebook or Instagram. Show
To succeed on social media, you need to be where your customers are and engage them with the right content and targeting. But with so many social media apps out there, how do you know which ones are right for your business? Here’s how to choose the right social media platforms for your small business.* Questions to consider when choosing your social media platforms.Before you start creating your company’s Facebook page or Twitter account, there are a few questions you should consider to help weigh up which platforms are right for your small business. These will help you to evaluate ‘what is the point of social media for my business?’, identify where your customers are spending time online, and work out how you can most effectively reach them for the best results. Who is my target audience and what social media platforms do they use?The number one goal of social media marketing is to reach and engage with your customers online. With this in mind, your social media efforts should be concentrated where your customers spend most of their time. The simplest way to do this is to look at the demographic data for each social media platform and match this with your business’ target audience. For example, younger customers tend to spend the majority of their time on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, whereas older Australians and professionals spend more time on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. How much am I willing to invest?There’s no point in creating great content if nobody sees it. That’s where paid advertising comes in. For instance, 76.8% of Aussies aged 16-64 are on Facebook but the average reach of an organic (unpaid) Facebook post is just 5.2%, and this is steadily declining every year. On top of that, managing a social media page is hard work and requires time and effort, especially when it comes to updating content, keeping up to date with social media trends and communicating with your followers. In this instance, it’s important not to bite off more than you can chew. Before diving headfirst into a new social media platform, take a look at the resources available to you. This includes who will manage your social media page, how you’ll create content, and how much paid advertising budget you have. From there, decide whether you’re willing to invest in a paid social media campaign that could help you get better results, faster, from your social media marketing efforts. What are my competitors doing?Your competitors are a useful guide for figuring out where you should focus your efforts, what works and what doesn’t. For example, if other businesses in your industry have great engagement on Instagram, chances are you should be on there too. Consider the following:
What social media advertising options are available?According to the latest Yellow Pages Social Media Report, 37% of Australian SMBs say they have paid to advertise on social media. Social advertising helps your content work harder and reach more people, which in turn improves your brand awareness and conversion rate. When it comes to social advertising, some platforms have more sophisticated targeting options and deliver better return on investment than others. Mature platforms like Facebook and Instagram have a comprehensive suite of paid advertising tools to suit various objectives and content types. Remember to also consider the data and social media analytics tools that are available for you to work with. Facebook and Instagram, for example, offer a wide range of targeting options, making it easier to hone in on and reach the right people at the right time. Which are the best social media platforms for small businesses?Once you’ve considered all of the points above, it’s time to narrow down your platforms. While you can get incredibly niche in your social media marketing, chances are you’re probably considering one of the main apps on this social media list:
So how do they all work, what are their key advantages, and which one should you choose? Facebook.Facebook is the most ubiquitous social media platform out there, regardless of a person’s age or gender. Nearly 77 percent of all Australians aged 16-64 are on Facebook and the average user accesses the platform 29 times a week. At its core, Facebook is a tool for people to stay in touch with their friends and family, follow the brands and businesses they like, and create groups based on hobbies or interests. Facebook users generally get updates via the newsfeed, which shows posts to users based on their interests and previous engagement with certain pages or people. For small businesses, Facebook offers affordable and comprehensive advertising options from boosted posts to promoted ads, as well as great social media analytics. Because so many people use Facebook regularly, the platform has plenty of data to help brands narrow down their target audience, such as marital status, interests and age. Cost of investment: While it’s possible to use Facebook without spending on ads, you might not reach that many customers. This is because fans have to follow your page to see your content. If you have a small fan base to begin with, you’ll need to invest some money into Facebook ads to be seen. The average cost-per-click on Facebook is $0.94, or $12.07 per thousand views. It’s estimated that the average cost per lead for a Facebook ad is $5.83. Who should use it? Almost everyone is on Facebook and the platform still has a strong community-like nature. Because of this, Facebook is best if you’re running a local business-to-consumer (B2C) business and you want to stay in touch with your customers. If you’re a florist, tradie, cafe, hotel or retail brand, Facebook is an ideal choice. YouTube.
|