[dropcap type=”circe”]O[/dropcap]ur friends at Ferret Online are kicking off their regular blog spot with tips for getting your social media right.
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[dropcap type =”circle”]L[/dropcap]ove it or hate it but Social Media is now an integral part of everyday life and a fantastic marketing tool. Ferret Online has a few simple tips (we have many more!) to help small businesses harness the potential that social media has to offer:
Your social media profile picture should always contain your logo or a simple, clear, sharp headshot. This encourages brand recognition and in time, customer trust and loyalty.
Companies that overlook their cover page are missing a trick – it’s your brand shop window and the first thing people see when they look at your profile. Create impact by using this space to tell people about yourself, your business and your unique selling points.
Don’t hold back, make it clear what you sell or the services that you offer. Ferret Online has ‘Helping SME’s win more business through social media’ splashed across our cover image – let people know instantly what it is you do and what you have to offer them.
Be consistent, use the same logo across all social media channels – here is a link to a cheat sheet on our Facebook which will help you choose the image size that works best for each channel. https://www.facebook.com/ferretonlinemedia/
Know your customer and when are they likely to be most active online. If you are want to target mothers with young children, plan to post or tweet in an evening when they are likely to be active and engaged with social media. Online purchases peak in in the evening (so this is always a good time to post) and in the same way, think about consumer demand – if your business is seasonal, know when traffic to your channels is likely to increase and be strategic!
Keep an eye on your competitors (set up a Google alert), what are they doing and which channels are working for them? Whatever it is, it will probably work for you.
As tempting as it is, but try not to overly focus on driving sales – customers almost always use Google or Amazon to find what they want and to make a purchase. Instead, use Social media to build brand recognition, loyalty and trust. Ferret Online recommend using a 4:1 ratio. For every 5 posts or tweets sent, 4 tweets or posts should add value: “infotainment”, advice or educate your audience and in turn build trust. Position yourself as the expert giving “snippets” of information – when customers start to ask questions, you can start to build good rapport. Always discuss benefits of your business rather than features.
We hope this has been helpful. Ferret Online know that one size doesn’t fit all so we aim to be flexible – we’d be happy to chip in with help when you need it, take on your entire social media operation, one on one training to get you started, or anywhere in between.
If you want to find out more, get in touch – Natasha@ferretonline.co.uk (our social media guru) or Beckymew@me.com (PR expert, marketer and copywriter). Or call us on 01280 850643.