Even though it can sometimes be confusing (and dare I say, intimidating), social media can offer your business huge benefits. With more people working from home nowadays, being active on social media may be a great help in these trying times. It will certainly keep you connected to your customer base in the wake of COVID-19. Here, we tell you just how you can make digital media and online communities benefit your business.
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The stats say it all when it comes to the efficacy of social media for business. Sherpa Marketing found that more people follow brands on social media than what they do celebrities. And on Instagram alone 80 percent of people follow at least one business. People are obviously looking for quality brand content, and that’s where you come in.
And in the time of a global pandemic, your business’ digital presence is more important than ever. Sure, social-distancing may slow things down a bit – but remember that while in lockdown, people will be more active online. Here’s how to grab their attention and set yourself apart from other brands.
Facebook has amazing potential to catapult your business into the proverbial stratosphere. First things first, make sure your business has a page – this way, people can like and share info related directly to your company. You can tell the world what you’re about and what sets you apart from your competitors. Not sure how to set one up? Facebook explains here.
This site brands itself as being able to “build technologies to give people the power to connect with friends and family, find communities and grow businesses”. So why not leverage that power?
Ensure that your business’ page is filled with photographs that are professional and relevant. And make sure that your mission statement is clear. Make posts that are highly informative and easy to read. Also take every opportunity you can to link to your company’s website (where more technical details can be communicated), so as to not cloud your social media with overly-complicated jargon.
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Facebook offers insights and statistics about how your page is doing and what posts are getting the most views. This will help you plan posts for the future and ensure that you reach peak viewership in your audience.
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On this platform, you’re eligible for paid promotional opportunities. You can also pay to broadcast your ads and Facebook will target users that will get the most value out of them – they collect the data and you reap the rewards with targeted, far-reaching, cheap advertising.
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Instagram‘s focus on the visual is great for businesses that have professional product pictures sitting around somewhere on a hard drive. The viewership on Instagram is huge! So if you’re not into typing lengthy descriptions and would rather let your branding speak for itself, then this is the platform for you.
Recent stats indicate that this platform hosts over one billion accounts. Of those billion, over 80% of accounts follow a business on Instagram. The platform prides itself in helping small businesses – so why not give it a shot (no matter what size company you’re working with)?
If you’re still finding your feet, there’s also a business blog run by this tech giant. Here you’ll find answers to all the questions you’re dying to ask. They regularly post tips, statistical insights and success stories. Think: part-guidebook, part-inspiration centre.
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Instagram provides you with growth insights so you can see which posts and stories are generating the most followers. You also have the ability to control who can see your Instagram profile and content by setting up a minimum age limit for your account. You can choose to set up a global default minimum age, or you can set up country-specific minimum ages to follow local policies. This allows you to post directly to your target market without any fuss.
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This platform allows paid partnerships and sponsorships. Stories are also a great way to advertise products and run competitions. It’s highly likely that the more competitions or giveaways you host, the more followers you’ll attract, therefore ensuring more eyes on your offering.
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LinkedIn is the platform where professionals of all walks of life come together. While most of us have personal LinkedIn profiles, this free service also allows you to create a business profile. LinkedIn reaches 630 million professionals, meaning you can attract a following of like-minded, ambitious movers and shakers.
This platform is specifically useful should you need help on the HR side of things. It is a phenomenal recruitment tool that will advertise your open position for you. All you need to do is outline your needs, requirements, a job description or conditions of employment.
Hootsuite notes that the real power of LinkedIn is it’s creation and maintenance of networks. They observe: “That’s the real power of LinkedIn for business: the ability to tap into existing connections and grow your brand through word-of-mouth. It’s also the top-rated social network for lead generation.”
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LinkedIn is the world’s largest and most active professional networking platform, with over 13 million companies. So your company profile is an important element of your success on this platform (for how to optimise this page, read more here). Once you’re all set up, you can connect to millions of professionals, so this social media platform can solve your potential recruitment and networking problems.
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LinkedIn’s “Campaign Manager” platform is purely geared towards advertising. You’ll be able to set up ad accounts, run campaigns, and control your budget. All you need is a LinkedIn account to get started. Moreover, they note that “Whether you’re focused on lead generation or brand awareness, selecting your objective is the first step to help us streamline and customise your campaign creation”. So get to selecting your objective and let this social media platform do the rest for you.
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Independent of COVID-19, it’s also important to note that the world is becoming more geared towards social media and the digital business. So even if you already have existing business profiles on these platforms, considering using the time in lockdown to revamp them. That way, you’ll get the most value out of these career-defining tools.
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By Features Writer Ashton Kirsten
