By Danielle Wirsansky
When you own and run a small business, you know that advertising is key. But for many just starting out, it is difficult to put money aside in your budget to do so. That is why advertising through social media can be extremely beneficial: if you do it right, it’s free. No matter what social media platform you choose to use (though I recommend trying several to find the right fit), here are some tips to help you reach success without spending anything but your time.
1. Interaction
The more your posts on any platform are interacted with, the better. Take Facebook as an example. When you post and someone comments on it, this interaction will show up in the newsfeed of all of their friends where they will see it. It’s a ripple effect that only grows.
2. Having the Right Followers
You also want to have the right followers, people who are genuinely interested in your business and what you post. They’ll be more likely to interact with what you post and utilize your services. And the more they do the more exposure you get. Some social media platforms, like Facebook, change the algorithms to limit how many people see your postings. If you have followers that don’t interact with your page, it can be used against you. Facebook checks the ratio of how many followers you have versus how many of them actually interact with your page. And if your followers don’t, they can act as dead weight and can stifle others from seeing what you post.
3. Relevant Posting
Make sure the things you post are relevant to your business. If you run a theatre page, post about theatre related topics. If you run an online jewelry store, post about jewelry, crafting, and more. Your followers have found your page because they interested in a particular subject. They haven’t come for other, off topic postings. Followers can get frustrated and unfollow your business simply because they are no longer interested in what you post about.
4. It Takes Time
It’s free advertising (unless you want to pay for ads) which means you have to put time into posting in order to build up an audience and a client base. Focus on one social media platform at a time- experiment and learn what works best for you and your business with that platform before moving onto the next one. You’ll end up with a strong foundation on every medium you choose to use.
