Social media can be a great way to spread the word about the products or services your business brings to the table, and it’s important to consider your social media options. Some businesses want to be on every platform available while others have only begrudgingly set up a NextDoor profile. How much social media your business needs depends on not only your company but the amount of work you want to put into maintaining a social media presence. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to determine what kind of social media presence your company should set up.
Do you have something to say?
For many businesses, the answer to this question can be complicated. If you are a franchise owner and need to clear every post with a corporate office, you may wonder if your specific store needs its own social media platform. Or you may already have some quality social media content available to you from a corporate page or profile. For other businesses, especially the ones that are locally owned and operated, it’s important to consider that you may be able to find some great resources through other local business pages that apply to you as a member of the community (like sharing important announcements from your local city hall Twitter feed).
Of course, that isn’t the only resource you can use for finding content. For example, if your business is in the manufacturing industry, you can share updates from local manufacturing groups on your business page or create a blog that addresses some of the most common questions you receive from new clients. There is almost always something that can be said – you just need to determine if it’s worth saying. Ask yourself what purpose each of your potential posts will serve. If you’re still not sure, try polling some employees or even your family members. The more viewpoints you have, the more confident you can be that the message you plan to send is one that accurately reflects your business and its values.
But don’t start posting every twenty minutes! In an effort to boost their social media presence, many businesses find themselves trading quality for quantity when it comes to their social posts. In other words, they post updates or info that won’t really appeal to their audience in an attempt to increase the likelihood that more people will see their posts. Don’t fall into this trap when you form your social media strategy.
Do you have the right people on board?
There is a common misconception in social media marketing that having a personal Facebook profile is the same as being a social media expert. While it’s certainly helpful to have personal accounts that help you stay familiar with the platform, social media marketing has grown to become an industry of its own. This means that you need a team that is dedicated to working on your social media – bonus points if that team is your marketing department.
You might decide to use the marketing team you already have, or you might look outward for a consult, but social media management will take time and expertise, so you do need to have a person or group that is prepared to take on this project. It’s important that you find team members who understand your goals with social media and can offer more ideas on ways you can utilize social platforms moving forward. It’s also important that these team members have the time and resources available to dive more deeply into the platforms you want to utilize, especially as many social media platforms are constantly changing their look, their algorithms, and any number of other factors.
It’s also important to bring the rest of your team on board – everyone from IT to sales to the legal team should be aware of the steps you are taking for social media. Even if they aren’t the ones posting or coming up with content, your entire company can benefit from knowing that you plan to increase or change your social media presence.
Do you have a plan?
How often will you post? What you will say? Will you share from other sources, or will all your content come from your own marketing department? These are just a few of the questions you need to have answered if you plan to utilize social platforms to grow your company. Ideally, this is something the team we mentioned above will create, but that doesn’t mean you’re not part of it. You as the owner need to answer one essential question: what kind of story do you want to tell?
Your business has a brand, whether you’re a small company that only started in the last few months or just celebrated your twentieth year in the industry with 500 employees. Having a brand means deciding what you want people to know about your company and how you want to share that information. It may mean that your posts center more around images you create, or you might find that your audience responds more to links from outside sources. No matter what you post, it needs to reflect your business and its goals.
When the plan is created (or even while it is being created), your marketing department can provide a written copy that will not only aid them in posting, but also allow you to review ahead of time to ensure that the message is in line with what you want to convey. While you certainly have the right to change any posts you want to, it’s also important to work with your marketing department and listen to their expertise – between you and them, you can find a happy social media medium.
So – should your company be social? That’s ultimately up to you, but getting your name out in your community and beyond is a great way to gain new clients, new team members, and new growth as you set out to make your business one of the best in its industry. Do your research (or turn to experts who can research for you) and find out what it would for your business to be a little more social.
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