Social Media for Business: 7 Steps to Get Started Online
Are you looking to establish a social media presence for your business? If so, you might be feeling rather overwhelmed trying to determine where to begin. After all, there’s so much to figure out before you can just jump right in.
In this post, you’ll learn the seven steps you can take to start using social media for business. This way, you can begin building an online presence with ease.
Social Media for Business: 7 Steps to Get Started Online
To help you get your business started with its social media presence, follow these seven tips:
1. Determine What Your Goals Are
What do you want to get out of using social media? There should really be a purpose behind why you’re on these platforms and publishing content. With clear goals in mind, you’ll always know what you’re working toward. And it’ll help you track the proper metrics to determine whether or not your strategy is effective.
Here are some examples of social media goals for businesses:
- Awareness: Social media is fantastic if you want to get more exposure for your business and the work you do. Use it to get your name out there by posting and engaging often.
- Traffic: By sharing your content regularly, you can boost website traffic and generate more readers for your blog.
- Connection: There’s no better way to form new relationships online than through social media. Use these platforms to engage with others to form friendships or find clients.
2. Select the Platforms You’ll Use
When using social media for business, you need to be strategic about where you’re directing your time and attention. You don’t want to invest all of your energy into the wrong platforms. Otherwise, you won’t see the results you desire. So, how do you choose which platforms are right for you in order to reach your target audience?
I have a blog post that shares three questions to help you decide which social media platforms you should use. One of those questions requires you to do some research about where your audience spends their time online. After all, if you want to get your business in front of those people, you’ll need to use the platforms where they’re most active.
There’s no need to be everywhere online. Most businesses simply don’t have the time or money to dedicate to that. Select two or three platforms and make them where you direct your focus. Quality over quantity is important here.
3. Map Out Your Content Strategy
Next, you need to figure out what kind of content you’ll be sharing. Part of using social media for business is making sure you’re adding value to the lives of those in your target audience. And luckily, there are tons of ways you can do that.
Take some time to better understand your audience and their needs. This will allow you to develop content that offers a solution to their biggest pain points. Content that educates them and entertains. This should also be relevant to the work your business does and the offerings you provide. It doesn’t just have to be your own unique content though. You can always curate content from other high-quality sources.
Related: Planning Your Twitter Content Strategy
4. Create a Realistic Posting Schedule
Building off the last tip on mapping out your content strategy, part of that will require you to determine a posting schedule. There are tons of recommendations online about how often you should post on each platform. Consistency is key, so you should aim to post at least once per day on the platforms you’re using.
Here are some suggestions from my friends at Hootsuite to help you out:
- Facebook: Post no more than two times per day.
- Instagram: Post between three to seven times per day.
- Twitter: Post between one and five times per day.
- LinkedIn: Post between one and five times per day.
These recommendations change from time to time, so be sure to do your research whenever you’re adjusting your social media strategy. You can also test to see what works best for you. You may find that your business does better just sharing less Instagram posts rather than committing to the recommended maximum of seven. Every business is different, so experiment and test to see what’s ideal for you.
5. Start Sharing Content
By this point, you have clear goals in mind. You’ve chosen your platforms. And you’ve created a content strategy and a posting schedule. You’re ready to start using social media for business growth. Begin sharing content and get active on the platforms you’re using.
Be sure to stay committed even when your content doesn’t seem to be gaining traction. In time, you’ll see great results from your hard work. But you don’t want to give up too early. You’re not going to create success overnight.
6. Make Sure You Engage With Others
It’s not enough to just share content with your audience. Social media is a valuable tool for connecting with others, which is something you should take advantage of. Don’t be one of those businesses that never responds to messages or fails to engage in any way.
Start conversations by asking questions. When people reach out to you, take the time to reply. The relationships you build will go a long way to create success in your business.
7. Measure Your Results Over Time
Part of using social media for business is making sure you’re generating the ROI you desire. The only way to do this is to dive into your analytics from time to time. Track the metrics related to the goals you outlined in the first step. You’ll want to monitor things such as growth, post engagement, etc. to determine whether or not your hard work is paying off. If things could be performing better, this is your opportunity to make some adjustments.
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