You're running a small business. How can you manage your social media presence more effectively?

Many social media or content 'gurus' suggest that you create content and repurpose it over multiple platforms. To be honest - that is a huge waste of time and effort for almost all small businesses! Focus on a singular platform where your customers are most likely to find you. Yes - if you are in B2B, then you might have prospects on Instagram or TikTok - but they are more likely to be on Linkedin, so focus ONLY on there first. Get traction, followers, subscribers and sales on a singular platform first - then look at how you might be able to repurpose that content across other platforms. And make sure that you ignore those 'gurus' whose product is to teach others how to get leads over multiple platforms!

Every business does not require every platform. You need to study your competitors and see how their customers are relating and engaging with them. Understand the need and then decide the platform that works best for you. Don’t try to champion each platform, it’s always and should be one step at a time.

For effective social media management in a small business, tailor your platform choice to your business type. If you run an e-commerce, platforms like Instagram and TikTok are ideal for showcasing products. For B2B, focus on networks like LinkedIn to connect with professionals. Knowing where your target audience spends their time helps you create more impactful content and engage more effectively.

Success in social media isn't about being everywhere. It's about choosing the right platforms for your audience and goals. For B2B service providers, platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter are often more relevant than Instagram or TikTok. It's crucial to research where your ideal customers are most active and the type of content they engage with. This targeted approach not only saves time but also enhances your brand's impact where it matters most. Focusing on specific platforms allows for tailored content that resonates with your audience.

A small business owner must build their brand personality before choosing their social media platform. Know who their audience is and what type of people they are targeting using brand personality. A small business owner should choose a platform that is specific to their target audience.

Having a content calendar is really helpful for managing social media. Segment your content in notes and spreadsheets to plan and schedule posts. This approach keeps your social media consistent and ties in with your business goals, like launching new products or promotions.

For this, I use google sheets and create a template that I can always use, I specify goal and type of the campaigns and I even write the captions and a description of an interactive story. then comes the hard part, get everything designed and schedule and monitor!

Schedule your content ahead of time, keep tabs on your interactions, and get insights into your social media metrics. These tools assist in determining the best times and frequencies for posts on different platforms. Remember, while these tools aid in managing your presence, personal engagement with your audience, like replying to comments and joining discussions, is still crucial for building relationships.

Some tools I've heard folks use are Hypefury (Twitter-focused), Tweet Hunter (Twitter-focused), Buffer (cross-platform but less feature rish), and Tapilo (LinkedIn-focused). Note that Instagram and Facebook have some helpful scheduling tools built directly into the platform.

True!!!! I use the same content over and over again but in a different way! sometimes I use weakness points such as “you feel tired” or “don’t worry, we accept insurance” and so on. you can probably reform your content a hundred time over in a different way, but every time it must be different.

Engaging with your followers is a must to not only build your social media presence, but to build a community. Your followers turn into community that support you when they can see you are responsive to their thoughts and concerns. They can also help you decide what content is a match or what they want to see more of.

I experienced a significant drop in engagement and I started doing more stories and reels, guess what?? YUP! Engagement rate went up!!

This is the most important thing in my opinion. People expect relationships with the companies they use. If a customer feels that they are not important to you, they will leave. Especially, after COVID, there was so much isolation during that time and people don't want to feel isolated now.