Social Media For Business – A Beginner's Guide

Social media reaches every corner  of the modern world, playing an important role in the day-to-day life of millions, if not billions, of people around the world. Whether your business is well established or brand new, social media may be something you are both enthusiastic and apprehensive about using as a marketing tool. It presents an enormous opportunity in that there is a huge potential market for you to reach, however, this is also an enormous challenge as you have to work out how to effectively communicate with this audience.

We've created this brief introduction to social media for businesses to provide tips and advice that will assist you in the early stages of getting set-up. Your first steps into the world of social media marketing should be taken with confidence, and Krafted are here to help.

Set Clear Goals - What Do You Want to Achieve?

Having a clear goal or set of goals in mind when you start off creating a social media presence ensures you make the most of the opportunities that are available to you. It's tempting to just set up a profile on the big social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as you feel that its something you have to do. However, without having any content creation plan your profiles can have a negative impact on the perception of your business as it looks unprofessional and is inactive for extended periods of time.

A few common objectives that businesses look to achieve on social media include;

  • Increasing website traffic

  • Growing sales figures

  • Increase brand awareness

  • Improve customer service

  • Build online relationships

Your Primary Focus

If you put a well thought out and planned social media strategy in place it is highly likely that you will see an improvement in each of the areas we have named above and much more besides. However, it is important to choose one particular objective or goal to focus on, enabling you to tailor the content you create and post to achieve this. Initially you can use this primary objective as a measure of your early success, building competence and confidence gradually.

Which Social Media Channels?

Choosing the right social media platforms for your business will depend on the industry you are in and what you want to achieve. Consider what sort of content you will be sharing and who you want to see it. Instagram, for instance, is a fantastic platform for highly visual businesses that provide products or services that are going to impress prospective customers. Linkedin, on the other hand, provides a fantastic opportunity to connect with other businesses and individuals in your field of interest with industry relevant content and even do some learning.

Presenting Your Business on Social Media

Careful consideration of how you present your business on social media is essential as first impressions count, with people making snap decisions on what they see initially. The way your profile and content is designed can make a real difference in winning over potential customers that value a professional look.

You can personalise your profile on every social media platform, providing a great opportunity as well as a potential pitfall. Here are a few things you should keep in mind;

  • High-quality images should be used to look sharp on all devices, grainy or pixelated images are really off-putting.

  • Choose the images you use for your profile pictures and cover photos wisely.

  • We recommend using your company logo as your profile picture in most cases.

  • Maintain consistency across social media platforms, your profile picture on Facebook should match your profile picture on Twitter, Linkedin, and so on.

Get Inspired!

Take a look around and check out the social media profiles of other businesses in your industry, particularly industry leaders or those that perform particularly well on social media to see what has worked for them. Don't be afraid to innovate though, try new things if you think it will work in conveying the personality of your business effectively and win over potential customers.

Moving Forward

When you have decided what personality and direction you want your business to take on social media you'll be ready to post fantastic content that will connect with potential customers and win them over.

Keep an eye out for our next blog that will assist you in creating fantastic content for social media and ensure it reaches the right people. If you have any questions for us or would like to discuss getting started on social media in more details then contact us today to arrange your free social media review.

Website Editor