Social Media Tips for Small Businesses

       Running a small business is a difficult task.  Not only is a significant amount of time, effort, and money put in on the owner's part, but marketing that business is also a necessity that falls on the insanely important "to do" list.  Because of its seemingly endless reach and its cost-efficiency, social media is a great way to market a small business (or any business for that matter).  So how should a business owner increase their social media presence?  Follow these tips to get started.
       First, find which accounts are working for you.  Many people think that they need to be on every single social media platform in order to reach every single potential customer.  Why stretch yourself so thin?  In my opinion, it is better to be a master at a couple or a few platforms than sub-par at a dozen.  If you're utilizing all of the features Instagram and Facebook have to offer why are you wasting time and effort posting sporadically on Pinterest and Twitter when your following isn't even there?  Educate yourself and keep up with the social media pages that are working for you.

       Another good thing to do is to strategize before you post.  Taking shots in the dark and hoping people will react is not a good tactic.  Plan your updates out. What is it that you are hoping to do?  Do you want to gain brand awareness?  Do you want to encourage calls-to-action? It is always a good idea to keep your main goals in mind when you are developing content.  Having a plan is always a good thing and it will help you better connect with your followers and potential customers because you took the time to do your research and think out your strategies and your updates.
       The last piece of advice for conquering social media is to engage with others on these platforms.  Look up hashtags and accounts that relate to what you do.  Like, comment, follow, and form relationships with those that are similar to you or relate to your products and services.  This is a great way to network, gain support, and show that you are personable.  If you share someone's post they are more likely to share yours.  Building relationships is highly beneficial and can easily build awareness for your business.

Growing and Maintaining Your Instagram Presence

       When it comes to marketing your business on social media there is really no set-in-stone way to go about it.  Each digital platform offers its own perks that can greatly benefit your company.  By utilizing Instagram, one can bring light upon their products and procure a following of loyal and dedicated people.  Doing this requires a lot of effort, dedication, and time.

       The first step in gaining an Instagram following is by posting every single day.  Yes, you read that right.  Every. Single. Day.  With so much information being constantly thrown at the average person it makes it very hard to capture their attention for long periods of time.  By consistently posting, you are helping your business stay fresh in the user's mind.  Take in mind, there is such thing as posting too much.  It is probably best if you post no more than three times a day; anything after that becomes annoying and you may be cut.

       The second step in gaining/maintaining your Instagram followers is to use hashtags to your advantage.  These little suckers are the perfect way for you to find potential followers and for you to find them.  Instagram allows thirty hashtags for every post--why not take advantage of them?  Pick the ones that best fit your image, the people you're trying to capture, and your post at hand.  In addition to placing them for people to find you, use them to find people.  See what people are posting under the same hashtags and comment your honest opinion.  Love what you're seeing? Tell them! This could ultimately lead to a follow and a new customer!

       Lastly, be sure to reply to every comment.  This really makes a difference.  Someone has taken the time to write to you so make sure you take the time to write them back. This is called common courtesy or being polite and actually makes you seem really personable compared to other business out there!  Plus, it is a great opportunity to make new friends and can really make someone's day if their favorite account responds to them.

       Although these techniques seem really simple, they are a great way to put your business out there and gain a great reputation.  By engaging with Instagram's followers, you in turn acquire followers and potential customers.  So be sure to post, comment, and hashtag your way to success!