Small Business Social Media Management

Social media has become essential for small to medium-sized businesses to reach and engage with their target audience.  

In the US, at least 82% of internet users are on social media. The total number of social media users will likely reach 257 million by the end of 2023. —Statista

Among internet users ages 18-34, 95% will follow at least one brand on social media. —Dreamgrow

With the right social media management strategy, businesses can improve their online presence, generate leads, and ultimately increase revenue. However, many small to medium-sized businesses struggle with social media management due to a lack of resources and expertise. We want to help. 

We are going to dive deep into what social media management is and provide tips on how to effectively DIY social media management for your small to medium-sized businesses.

What is social media management?

Social media management refers to the process of creating, scheduling, analyzing, and engaging with content posted on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. A good social media management strategy involves understanding your target audience, creating engaging content that resonates with them, and analyzing the results of your efforts to refine and improve your approach.

Why is social media management important for small to medium-sized businesses?

The true reason, budget! This is a free marketing channel for any business. Whether you are a mom-and-pop shop with a following of 150 or a medium retail operation with 3k social media costs the same for everyone —free 99. There are also plenty of benefits that come with that beautiful price tag:

1. Increased brand awareness:

   It's an effective tool for businesses to increase their brand awareness and reach a wider audience. By consistently posting engaging content, businesses can attract new followers and potential customers.

2. Improved customer engagement:

   Social media provides businesses with the opportunity to engage with their customers and build relationships where the customer is. By actively engaging with customers on social media, businesses can provide solutions in real-time, improving customer satisfaction and retention. A company's level of responsiveness can provide security to customers, knowing their opinions and feedback are valued, leading to stronger relationships, and increased customer loyalty, engagement, and retention.

3. Cost-effective marketing: 

   I know we covered this but it honestly is a cost-effective way for small to medium-sized businesses to promote their products and services. Allowing businesses to reach a wider audience without the high costs associated with traditional marketing channels.

4. Increased website traffic: 

   If you have a website, which everyone should, you can also boost your website traffic by promoting your business with links to the website on social media posts. This is another way businesses can generate warm leads.

Start with a strategy

Getting started is always the hardest part of any process, social media will be no different. Despite what most people think, you can't just go with what's trending. At DaBrian, we don't move without a strategy. So if you're looking for where to start, here is a social media management strategy roadmap to get your social media journey and DIY social media management off on the right foot:

1. Define your social media goals
   Before you start creating content, it’s important to define why you are creating content. what are the goals for the content you are using for social media? What do you hope to achieve? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive website traffic? Once you’ve defined your goals, you can create a social media strategy that aligns with them.
   
   
2. Identify your target audience
   Understanding your target audience is crucial for creating content that resonates with them. Who are your ideal customers? What are their interests, needs, and pain points? By understanding your target audience, you can create content that speaks directly to them.
   
   
3. Choose which social media platforms are right for you
   Not all social media platforms are created equal. Depending on your target audience and goals, some platforms may be more effective than others. For example, if you’re targeting a younger audience, Instagram and TikTok may be more effective than Facebook or LinkedIn. Inversely if you were targeting business owners a better choice might be LinkedIn and Facebook since. Choose the platforms that align with your target audience and goals.
   
   
4. Build a content calendar
   Consistency is key when it comes to social media. By creating a content calendar, you can plan your content in advance and ensure that you’re posting consistently. Your content calendar should include the type of content you’ll be posting, the platform you’ll be posting on, and the date and time of each post.
   
   
5. Develop engaging content
   To attract and retain followers, your content should be engaging, relevant, and valuable. This can include a mix of promotional content, educational content, and entertaining content. Use a variety of formats such as images, videos, and infographics to keep your content fresh and interesting.
   
   
6. Monitor and engage with your audience
   Social media is a two-way conversation between you and your audience. Social media inbox management is a real challenge. It’s important to monitor all your social media accounts and respond to comments and messages in a timely manner. This can help grow trust and foster relationships with your audience, especially if you weren't using social media prior.
   
   
7. Analyze and refine your approach
   Regularly analyze your social media metrics. This can help you refine and improve your approach. See what type of content got the most engagement and use that data to start building more content like that and you will see your results climb.

Understanding your target audience

Social media is just like any other form of marketing, and just like your marketing campaign, you need to understand who the audience is. To accomplish this we like to use personas or fictional characters used to represent specific characteristics based on research to represent the different types of people that might use your service, product, site, or brand similarly. Building personas helps you understand users' needs, experiences, behaviors, and goals.

Persona Example:
With this persona, you can infer the audience we are targeting is the people in marketing manager roles inside small to medium-sized financial service businesses. Their goal is lead generation through their marketing efforts, but they are running into challenges with resources, communication, collaboration, and creativity. 

Now you know their role, goals, and challenges but how do you use this to market to them on social media? Determine how your product or service fits into the equation. Look at their tool stack, they currently use a CMS or content management system, a CRM or customer relationship management software, a social poster, an email platform, reporting software, and cloud-based storage. Do you offer a product that can ease their workday while solving a challenge?

They also seem to have a lot on their plate. They handle email marketing, social media, content creation, website, graphic design, and ad management. If you are a service business and are an expert with any of these tools or responsibilities, you can offer to complete this work for them.

Choose which social platform is right for you

With a better understanding, using your persona, you can also find the best platforms for getting your message to the right audience. If we look at John Doe (The Persona), we can see they get their information from digital sources. Perfect for social media targeting. Their platforms of choice are Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn, the traditional ones. To see where they spend the most time, go on each platform and do a little research, or use free things social media marketers use these days, like Chat GPT.

While the AI prompt would take a lot more work and research to create specifically for your audience persona, it is still a viable option for a starting point. There are a plethora of free to low-cost tools on the market to gain a better understanding of your audience, including the platforms you are likely already using, like Google Analytics.

It's time for content and consistency

If you want to gain and keep your audience's attention, it will require the merger of the twin pillars of social media, consistency and engaging content. The first step is to build a detailed content calendar, giving you an efficient guide for your monthly social media journey. This calendar will allow you to plan your posts well in advance, guaranteeing a consistent cadence of updates that will keep your audience engaged and wanting more. Using this calendar, you'll be able to outline all the specific types of content you'll be sharing. This could be promotional material showing your latest products or services, educational posts offering valuable insights, or entertaining content to captivate and engage your followers.

However, you can't just have a great plan. To truly connect with your audience, your content has to be great. Captivating, relevant, and valuable content is what makes the social media world go round. Dive deep into understanding your target demographic, their interests, pain points, and preferences like we spoke about with creating an audience persona. Armed with this knowledge, you can get right into the action with your content and resonate with their needs, sparking authentic interest and interactions.

This strategic blend of consistency and engaging content won't just elevate your social media game —it will build a loyal and active following. Followers who will eagerly anticipate your posts, share them with their networks and actively engage with your brand for the long haul. The more you nurture the online community you create, the more your brand's influence grows, thrusting you toward your social media goals and beyond. So don't treat it like it's an every-now-and-then type of thing, invest the time in crafting a thoughtful content calendar, and let your creativity flow as you develop captivating content that leaves a lasting impression. 

You've got the right strategy, targeting, planning, and content but now it's time to simplify this process and get some tools at your disposal. This will streamline all of your efforts and maximize the impact.  Here are our top 5 recommendations:

Our Top 5 Social Management Tools

Managing social media for a small to medium-sized business can be a daunting task. Luckily, there are several tools available that can make this process much smoother and make your life so much easier. Here are our top picks:

HubSpot

HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing platform that includes social media management features. It offers an all-you-need toolset, with tools for scheduling a variety of post types, monitoring social media mentions, analyzing performance, AI assistance and so much more. With HubSpot, you can streamline your social media efforts and integrate them into the rest of your overall marketing strategy.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a widely used social media management tool that enables users to handle multiple social media accounts from a single dashboard. With Hootsuite, you can do more than just schedule posts in advance, monitor analytics, and engage with your audience. This platform is an excellent option for businesses seeking to streamline their social media presence and save time.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social is a comprehensive social media management tool that offers scheduling, monitoring, and analytics features. It also provides insights into audience engagement and helps businesses understand what content resonates best with their followers. Zoho Social is user-friendly and ideal for businesses looking for an affordable yet powerful social media solution.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is another popular choice for businesses of all sizes. It offers a range of features including scheduling, monitoring, analytics, and social listening. Sprout Social's user-friendly interface and robust analytics make it easy to track the performance of your social media campaigns and make data-driven decisions.

Social Pilot

SocialPilot is a cost-effective social media management tool that offers a range of features to help businesses manage their social media presence. It allows you to schedule posts, analyze performance, collaborate with team members, and more. SocialPilot is ideal for businesses looking for an affordable yet feature-rich solution.

Ready to put the plan into action?

Social media management is a crucial piece of the business marketing strategies puzzle. For small to medium-sized businesses, effectively managing social media can lead to increased brand awareness, improved customer engagement, and ultimately, business growth. With the right tools and strategies in place, businesses can harness the power of social media to connect with their target audience and drive substantial results.

If you find social media management overwhelming or time-consuming, consider partnering with a trusted agency like DaBrian Marketing Group. Our team of experts can assist in navigating the world of social media, creating engaging content, and managing your accounts to keep you consistent and help you achieve your business goals.

Remember, social media is not just about posting —it's more about building relationships with your audience, providing value, and listening to their feedback. 

So, whether you choose to DIY your social media management using the tips we've provided or call out for the help of professionals, the key is to stay consistent, authentic, and focused on providing real value to your audience. 

If you need assistance or have any questions about social media management, contact us at DaBrian Marketing Group. We're here to help make meaningful connections with your social media and develop lasting success!