The first step to success for small business social media marketing is to understand your goal for using it. Sounds obvious, right? Unfortunately, many businesses fall into the trap of wanting to use social media to “generate more business” which is too general and often unrealistic if you are just starting out. Here’s a list of more specific objectives to get your goal-identifying juices flowing.
Please note: to get the best results from social media marketing, you need to focus on one goal. Do not try to do this entire list. You need to identify what is the most important and solely focus on those efforts. That is the fastest way to success.
Example Goals for Small Business Social Media Marketing
1. Building Brand Awareness
This is an especially good goal for a company that is just starting out or one that has recently changed its business name for whatever reason. You want to focus on exposure so that people start to recognize your name and associate it with your products or services.
2. Attracting Higher Quality Clients
If you find yourself constantly working with clients that frustrate you and raising your rates isn’t stopping them, you could have a brand image problem. Use social media (and your website) to up-level your business and your clientele. The ones who aren’t a good fit for you should start to remove themselves because your messaging doesn’t match with their expectations.
3. Reducing the Length of the Customer Journey
How long does it take one of your prospects to become a client? For some businesses, it could be years. Social media can be used to connect with your audience and form deeper relationships with these leads while educating them throughout the process. You’ll attract them faster because you are doing the work to prove that you care about them, you’re an expert in your industry, and that you’re different from your competition.
4. Delivering Superior Customer Service
This goal isn’t one of my favorites because, frankly, your customers are assuming that you will have top-notch customer service. It’s expected now and it’s extremely difficult to differentiate yourself based solely on the customer service you provide. A better goal would be to reduce the number of phone calls from customers by answering FAQs through your social media platforms and on your website. At the same time, it’s important to have a social media manager who thoroughly understands your business so that they can respond quickly–and even upsell–to anyone who messages your page.
5. Driving Traffic to Your Website
Service-based businesses often need more than a single phenomenal Facebook ad to sell their services. Your clients want more information about your company before they decide to make a purchase. They need to be educated on topics they know very little about. They might need to be taught about the problem you solve or the potential risk if it’s not handled properly. Website content and especially a corporate blog helps in this area. You create content on your website that can be shared directly on your social media channels or repurposed in graphics and other assets.
6. Growing Your Email List
Many businesses are hesitant to focus on growing their email list but it is one of the best ways to generate income on demand. Ask yourself what you could provide that would be valuable for your audience. Would they like to be in the loop with new offers or free educational opportunities? Think about what your audience would like to receive–what is truly valuable and important to them–and go from there.
7. Generating Leads
As mentioned above, social media is a great way to generate exposure for your business and nurture relationships with potential customers. There are many ways you can use social media to generate leads for your business, from simple tips like telling your audience how they can work with you to more complex methods like creating a spreadsheet to help you intentionally interact with their posts. If your goal is to generate leads with social media, keep in mind that this takes time to figure out. Despite what you might see from self-proclaimed marketing gurus, there is no formula to success. You have to figure out your own approach that works. That takes experimentation, evaluation, and time.
Conclusion
When setting a goal for your small business’s social media marketing, be sure to choose one focus and make it specific. A few examples are building brand awareness, attracting higher-quality clients, or growing your email list.
Join our Million-Dollar Marketing Strategies Facebook Group if you have any questions on this topic. In this private group, I’ll show you how to create a Million Dollar Marketing Strategy that attracts customers and produces consistent leads for your business.
