Social media has become a key tool for business marketing. And with good reason - statistics show that 75% of customers use it as part of their buying process. Whether researching a business or product, searching for answers to their questions or buying something through social media shops, your customers want you to have an online presence.
All this means that successfully managing a social media account can seem complicated. For many local business owners, knowing where to invest their limited and valuable time can be challenging.
The following five tips are simple yet effective ways to get the most out of social media.
1. Post consistently
Sticking to a consistent posting schedule is vital for getting more social media followers. It also ensures any new visitors to your page see that your business is active.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean posting daily. It just means choosing how often you want to or can post and sticking to it. The ideal frequency for most business pages is once a week, but if that’s too much for your staff, it can be once every two weeks or even once a month. You can do whatever works for you as long as you are consistent.
2. Use images and videos
It's well known that imagery and visual aids encourage people to buy products - that's what advertising is all about. And it works just the same for selling services. Images or videos of your team at work, your tools and your trade help give customers more confidence in your services.
Seeing what they're spending their money on increases their trust and confidence in your business, especially if they haven't used your services before. For people who like to research before they buy, your image posts on social media could help convert a passing visitor into a new customer.
Social media is one of the main places people go for information when researching a product or service. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to gain a customer by forgetting these small details.
This includes your contact information, like your phone number and email, opening hours, core services, address and website (if you have one). All these things are important for customers because they show you are a professional and legitimate business they can trust.
4. Educate and answer questions
Confident customers buy more, so use your social media platform as an opportunity to answer common questions you get from drivers. “What is the difference between a full and interim service?” and “How long does an MOT take?” are good examples. Answering questions like these helps your potential customers and underlines your position as a trustworthy expert.
5. Don’t sell too hard
It's common for small businesses to use social media to try and directly sell products or services. While this isn't a bad idea, it shouldn't be the only content you post on your page because it gives the impression that you only care about money. Of course, money is important. But customers today want to be confident they're giving their cash to a good and reliable business.
So, sell occasionally, but mix up your posts to include other types of content, like answering questions, images of your garage, or posts about your staff and team. Showing that you and your team are real people who can work hard and have some fun could do more for you on social media than giving the hard sell all the time.
Written by Amy Stone, Communications Manager at FixMyCar.