Top Social Media Strategies for Small Business in 2018
There’s a lot happening through your little screens in the big world of social media. 2018 brings brand new social media trends, and with that comes new marketing strategy. Small businesses need to stay savvy and continuously update their approach to social media. If they don’t, they fall behind or be overshadowed by big business.
In 2018 Facebook Live is expanding. The live stream feature everyone seemed to ignore in 2017 is becoming more and more relevant. Facebook is the most used social media, so it’s updates need to utilized by small businesses to reach more viewers. Small businesses can make the most of Facebook Live by live streaming podcasts, events, webinars and behind the scenes of their business. While your views might start off small, as Facebook Live becomes more relevant, so too will your streams.
Not only is Facebook Live changing, Facebook advertising is a completely different game. Facebook advertising is more expensive, especially in Australia. That means more big business are jumping in, taking attention away from small business. The good news is there are things you can do, other than try and match big business advertising costs. Facebook advertising is more effective when multi-layered. You must combine ads with live streams, Facebook groups, events, list building and click-to-purchase. It’s important to figure out a strategy before spending your money.
Moving from Facebook to Instagram, there’s a lot more you can do to be Instagram-worthy. You won’t attract the follows and likes without being trendy. Take a bit of extra time to make an account that is a little more glamorous than you’ve done before. Instagrammers love themes. Keep your account focused on similar posts, and post anything extra as a story. Your theme could be the same item, similar colours or matching filters. You could combine quote posts to create a pattern on your page. You might even consider a sleek black and white design. Whatever you chose, stick with it! Instagrams look much more professional when they are in sync. Make sure you keep posting Instagram stories to keep followers interested and reminded of you and your business between your main posts.
Video and multi-platforms
Video’s are the new photos. They’re popping up more on every platform and they have the ability to hold the attention of viewers for longer than most photos. Videos are widely viewed on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, usually on mobile devices. Consider increasing the amount of videos you share. When you’re lining up a new photo, think whether it would be better as a video. Or use both! You need a business strategy across multiple social medias to be effective. And that doesn’t mean posting the same thing on every account. That’s where planning comes in. For example, if you are attending a conference, you could Facebook live stream the start, add a video of products to your Instagram story, take an artistic long shot of you for your Instagram, and post multiple photos as a Facebook status people can share. You have to think about your audience and what you want to get out of each platform of social media. You can save yourself a lot of money in ads by organising your social media effectively. Video is a great place to start your changes for 2018.
