How small businesses can harness the power of social media
Social media can help boost the profile and profits of small businesses. Follow this expert advice to create a powerful online presence.
Victoria Business
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When it comes to the power and potential of social media, the numbers speak for themselves.
Facebook has about 2.7 billion monthly active users and about 3.14 billion people use at least one of its core products – either Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger, according to online data aggregator Statista.
Australia is home to 11.23 million Facebook users and many who could be customers in waiting for small businesses looking to increase their reach and stay afloat, social media specialist Nicola Moras said.
She said in an economic crisis, social media could be a lifeline for businesses that wanted to connect with old and new customers and find ways of showcasing their products and services.
“In the past five or six years, consumer behaviour has changed. When people want to buy, they look on social media platforms and ask for recommendations. This has been accelerated by COVID-19,” said Ms Moras.
“As a small business, if you want clients and customers, you can’t ignore social media.”
The pandemic has forced many businesses to review their online presence and become savvier about using social media platforms.
Author of Into the Spotlight: How to create a powerful presence online, Ms Moras said small businesses should use three social media channels to build their business profile, customer base and profits.
For lifestyle-focused businesses she recommended Facebook, Instagram and a website.
Businesses offering professional services, such as accountants and lawyers, should focus on LinkedIn, a website and Facebook.
“You don’t need to be on every platform — pick where your audience is — but they are on Facebook,” Ms Moras said.
“Create a business page and post content at least once a day and more often if possible. Share content that gives people a look behind the logo or the brand. The gateway to people being interested in your business is to share a little of the person behind it. Post tips, advice and hacks that help customers get to know you, so they learn to like you and trust you — and that is when they will buy.”
Post more content rather than less as people only see about 10 per cent of what you post anyway due to the algorithms that affect what material makes it into a news feed.
Use Instagram to post photos that showcase the best your business has to offer and that build the personality behind your business. People spend less time on LinkedIn than they do browsing Facebook but posting an article every day can get your business in front of the people who matter.
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“Post value-based content on LinkedIn. Identify problems your audience has and offer tips and advice on how to fix them and comment on other people’s posts, too,” Ms Moras said.
In creating a website, ask for recommendations from other small business owners or professional networks to find a designer who can create a website that fits your business and budget. Use the home page to clearly outline what your business is, what it does, who you serve and how you do that and include a blog to share insights and advice, Ms Moras said.
“Globally, e-commerce is two years ahead of where it was predicted to be right now because of the impacts of COVID-19. Social media offers many opportunities for small businesses and those opportunities shouldn’t be ignored.”