Karri Buck – Consultant, Virtual Assistant, Paralegal
So You’re Thinking About Using Social Media For Your Business
“What did we do before social media?” I hear this statement often. The answer? We bought expensive ads in the Yellow Pages and hoped people told their friends about our business. To say reach was limited would be an understatement! However, with Facebook and its amazing outreach comes a learning curve. Here’s a few tips to help you lean into the curve!
1) Post consistently. The algorithm will learn how you post over time. If you post once a day, then once a week and then once a day again, you won’t get good reach. Pick how often you want to post and stick with that plan. Better to start slow and then grow how often you post rather than post often and then slow down. You’re guaranteed to lose reach if you slow down rather than grow.
Post on your page, tag people, then share to any pages you want. Posting on your page means anyone that you allow can share your post. If you only post to other pages, it limits who can share your post to those who are in that group.
Have a business page. If you have a personal page, you either have to make it open to the public, which means anyone anywhere can see where you are on vacation, or you have to sort through every person who wants to view your page. Make a business page and save yourself the hassle! Be sure to pick a name for your page that’s easy to spell. People aren’t going to search for “Sewp four yer Sole” when they hear that business name. On that same note, make sure you have a professional email. It can be something as simple as BobSmith@emailproviderofchoice.com It might be hard to believe, but emails such as cutegirl1999 or mrbigmsucles2012 aren’t going to further your business!
Post relevant content. Post to make your business grow. I know that meme, whatever you just posted, is funny, but it wasn’t relevant to your business and though it made someone laugh, it didn’t engage them. There are some great businesses in the Oakland Chamber who do an excellent job of posting relevant material. You do not question what they sell, and they post to engage their customers. Likes count, but shares get you exposure. Post material that people want to share.
Take a breath. Owning a business is hard work. Don’t try to win the internet. You won’t do it. You’ll make someone mad. Someone will miss a big post. You could lose access to your account. The list of bad things is endless. Accept those things and focus on what you can do: provide customer service that is second to none and offer content and products to match your customers’ needs. Keep your chin up. You’re doing great.
Remember there’s room for everyone’s success. Share each other’s posts. Recommend businesses, even if you think everyone knows about them. Support small business. Simple ways to bring growth and camaraderie to the community!