Social media hype has hit epidemic extremes. When social media was newer, small businesses used to ask “should I be on social media?” and now they are asking “which social media channels should I promote my business on?”
There is nothing wrong with asking these questions, but with all the social media hype it’s easy to jump the gun and start utilizing social media when it may not be the best strategy for your small business. Let’s take a look at why social media may not be right for every business and what questions to ask to discover the best marketing strategies.
Why should you not immediately fall for social media hype?
We have all heard the message: everyone is on social media today and if your business is not using it, you are missing out and will be left behind. While a large percentage of the population is using some type of social media and, and while some of these people may be your target market, it doesn’t mean social media is the best way to reach them. Most small businesses don’t have the time or the budget to promote to everyone, so you need to think about who is most likely to do business with you and what is the best way to reach them. You need to find the low hanging fruit.
What should you do before promoting your business through social media?
There are a number of things you can do before jumping straight to social media to promote your business. By asking yourself these questions, you can start to discover if promoting your business through social media is the quickest and most efficient path to success.
Where did your current customers come from?
Do you know where you acquired your existing customers? Did they come through word of mouth or can you attribute them to a specific promotional campaign? As an example, if your current customers come through word of mouth and you only have a limited amount of time in your day to dedicate to promoting your business, your time may be better spent developing relationships with the people who are likely to refer you.
How does your target market search for your services or product?
If you do not know this already, take some time to research how your target market searches for your service or product. As an example, if you think they search in Google, maybe you should dedicate your time to making sure your website is on the first page for that search term, or put together a pay-per-click ad strategy. Chances are, social media can be taking a lot of your time that may be better spent elsewhere.
Who is your target customer?
In detail, think about who your target customer is. What are their demographics? What are their personality traits? What do they do for a living? Is there a specific event that leads them to needing your product or service? Based on your answers, is social media the best way to get in front of these people and stand our from the competition?
When to Use Social Media
If you do not go through these series of questions to discover the best ways to reach your target audience, you can waste a lot of time posting updates on social media yielding in lackluster results.
If by going through these questions you determine that social media is the best way to promote your business, then develop a solid strategy and continuously measure your results to ensure you are still on the right path. Social media can be a great tool when used correctly but don’t jump on the bandwagon simply because of the excessive social media hype. Do your homework and you will have much more satisfying results.