A Complete Guide on Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses to Optimize Their Reach

Social media is not just a place to share selfies and memes. It is also a powerful tool for small businesses to connect with potential customers, increase brand awareness, and generate sales. But how do you create a social media marketing strategy that works for your small business? How do you choose the right platforms, create engaging content, and measure your results? In this blog post, we will show you how to create a great social media marketing strategy for your small business in 2023. We will cover the following topics:

• Why use social media for your small business
• How to define your social media marketing goals
• How to determine your most relevant metrics
• How to decide who you want as your social media audience
• How to understand your social media audience
• How to select the right social media networks for your audience
• How to investigate how your competitors approach social media
• How to establish a realistic social media budget
• How to plan the types of content you intend to share
• How to set up your accounts properly before you make and promote content
• How to create suitable content to share with your followers
• How to promote your social channels
• How to engage with your audiences
• How to build a community for your audience
• How to consider paid promotion to boost your audiences
• How to consider working with influencers to widen your reach
• How to consider working with brand advocates
• How to consider using chatbots as part of your social media marketing strategy
• How to run cross-channel campaigns
• How to track your results and adapt your social media plan

By following these steps, you will be able to create a social media marketing strategy that suits your small business needs and goals. You will also learn how to optimize your reach and grow your online presence. Let’s get started!

Why use social media for your small business

If you own a small business, you might wonder why you should use social media for your marketing. After all, you have limited time and resources, and you might think that social media is only for big brands and celebrities. However, this is not true. Social media can offer many benefits for small businesses, such as:

• Reach more potential customers: Social media can help you reach a wider audience and expose your brand to new markets. You can use social media to showcase your products or services, share your story, and attract people who are interested in what you offer. According to Statista, there are now 4.2 billion active social media users, which means that you have a huge opportunity to connect with potential customers online.
• Increase your brand awareness: Social media can help you increase your visibility and recognition online. When you create interesting, relevant, and valuable content, people will share it with their followers, which will increase your reach and exposure. The more your brand is shown online, the more chances you have of people becoming familiar with it and eventually making a purchase.
• Understand your customers better: Social media can help you learn more about your customers’ interests, needs, behaviors, and desires. You can use social media to listen to what your customers are saying about your brand, your industry, your competitors, and your niche. You can also use social media to ask for feedback, conduct surveys, and run polls. This valuable customer data can help you improve your products or services, tailor your marketing messages, and create better customer experiences.

How to define your social media marketing goals

Before you start creating your social media marketing strategy, you need to define your goals. What do you want to achieve with your social media efforts? How will you measure your success? Having clear and specific goals will help you focus your strategy and align your actions with your desired outcomes. Some common social media marketing goals are:

• Increase brand awareness: This means that you want more people to know about your brand, recognize your logo, and recall your name. You can measure this goal by tracking metrics such as impressions, reach, followers, mentions, and shares.
• Generate leads and sales: This means that you want more people to visit your website, sign up for your newsletter, download your ebook, or buy your product or service. You can measure this goal by tracking metrics such as clicks, conversions, revenue, and ROI.
• Improve customer service: This means that you want to provide better support and assistance to your customers, answer their questions, solve their problems, and increase their satisfaction. You can measure this goal by tracking metrics such as response time, resolution rate, feedback, and reviews.
• Build customer loyalty: This means that you want to retain your existing customers, increase their repeat purchases, and encourage their referrals. You can measure this goal by tracking metrics such as retention rate, churn rate, lifetime value, and advocacy.

When you define your goals, make sure they are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, instead of saying “I want to increase my sales”, you can say “I want to increase my sales by 10% in the next 6 months by using social media to generate more leads and conversions”. This way, you will have a clear direction and a way to evaluate your progress.

How to determine your most relevant metrics

Once you have defined your social media marketing goals, you need to determine how you will measure them. You need to choose the most relevant metrics that will help you track your performance and evaluate your results. Metrics are quantitative indicators that show how well you are achieving your goals. For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you might want to measure metrics such as impressions, reach, followers, mentions, and shares. These metrics will show you how many people see your brand, how many people follow your brand, how many people talk about your brand, and how many people spread your brand.

However, not all metrics are equally important. Some metrics are more meaningful and actionable than others. For example, if your goal is to generate leads and sales, you might not care much about how many likes or comments you get on your posts. You might care more about how many clicks or conversions you get from your posts. These metrics will show you how many people are interested in your offer, how many people visit your website, and how many people buy your product or service.

Therefore, you need to choose the metrics that are most relevant to your goals and your business. You also need to avoid vanity metrics, which are metrics that look good but do not reflect your actual performance or impact. For example, having a lot of followers does not necessarily mean that you have a lot of customers. Having a lot of impressions does not necessarily mean that you have a lot of engagement. Having a lot of likes does not necessarily mean that you have a lot of loyalty.

To determine your most relevant metrics, you can use the following steps:

• Align your metrics with your goals: For each goal, identify the metrics that will help you measure your progress and success. For example, if your goal is to improve customer service, you might want to measure metrics such as response time, resolution rate, feedback, and reviews.
• Choose the right tools to measure your metrics: Depending on the platforms you use and the metrics you want to track, you might need different tools to measure your metrics. For example, you can use the native analytics tools of each platform, such as Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, Instagram Insights, etc. You can also use third-party tools, such as Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, etc. These tools can help you collect, analyze, and visualize your data.
• Set your benchmarks and targets: For each metric, you need to set a baseline and a desired outcome. A baseline is the current value of your metric, which you can use as a reference point. A target is the future value of your metric, which you can use as a goal. For example, if your current response time is 24 hours, you might want to reduce it to 12 hours. This way, you will have a clear idea of where you are and where you want to be.
• Monitor your metrics regularly: You need to keep track of your metrics on a regular basis, such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. This will help you see how your metrics change over time, how your actions affect your metrics, and how your metrics compare to your benchmarks and targets. You can use dashboards, reports, and alerts to monitor your metrics and stay updated.
• Analyze your metrics and draw insights: You need to interpret your metrics and understand what they mean for your business. You need to look for patterns, trends, correlations, and anomalies in your data. You need to ask questions, such as why, how, what, and so what. For example, why did your reach increase in March? How did your campaign affect your conversions? What are the best times to post on Instagram? So what can you do to improve your results?
• Adjust your strategy and actions based on your metrics: You need to use your metrics and insights to inform your decisions and actions. You need to identify what works and what does not work for your social media marketing. You need to do more of what works and less of what does not work. You need to test new ideas and experiment with different approaches. You need to optimize your strategy and actions based on your metrics and goals.

How to decide who you want as your social media audience

Another important step in creating your social media marketing strategy is to decide who you want as your social media audience. Your social media audience is the group of people who are most likely to be interested in your brand, your products or services, and your content. Your social media audience is not necessarily the same as your target market, which is the group of people who are most likely to buy from you. Your social media audience might include potential customers, existing customers, influencers, advocates, and other stakeholders.

Why is it important to decide who you want as your social media audience? Because knowing your audience will help you:

• Create relevant and valuable content: When you know who your audience is, you can create content that matches their interests, needs, preferences, and pain points. You can also use the language, tone, and style that resonates with them. This will help you attract, engage, and retain your audience.
• Choose the right platforms and channels: When you know who your audience is, you can choose the platforms and channels where they are most active and reachable. You can also optimize your profiles and pages to appeal to them. This will help you increase your visibility and reach.
• Build relationships and trust: When you know who your audience is, you can communicate with them effectively and authentically. You can also listen to their feedback, answer their questions, solve their problems, and show your appreciation. This will help you build relationships and trust with your audience.

How do you decide who you want as your social media audience? You can use the following steps:

• Define your ideal customer profile: Your ideal customer profile is a description of the type of customer who is most likely to buy from you and benefit from your offer. You can use criteria such as demographics, psychographics, behavior, and needs to define your ideal customer profile. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, your ideal customer profile might be a female, aged 25-35, who lives in an urban area, who cares about her health and the environment, who has a medium to high income, who is active on Instagram and Pinterest, and who is looking for natural and effective solutions for her skin problems.

• Segment your audience into personas: Your audience personas are fictional representations of the different segments of your audience, based on their characteristics, goals, challenges, and motivations. You can use data from your own customers, market research, social media analytics, and surveys to create your audience personas. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, you might have three audience personas: Anna, who is a busy professional who wants to look good and feel confident; Bella, who is a young mother who wants to take care of herself and her family; and Chloe, who is a beauty enthusiast who wants to try new products and trends.

• Map your customer journey: Your customer journey is the process that your customers go through from becoming aware of your brand to becoming loyal advocates. You can use stages such as awareness, consideration, decision, retention, and advocacy to map your customer journey. For each stage, you need to identify the actions, emotions, touchpoints, and pain points of your customers. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, you might map your customer journey as follows:

  • Awareness: Your customers become aware of your brand through social media posts, ads, referrals, or reviews. They feel curious and intrigued by your products and your values. They visit your website, follow your social media accounts, or sign up for your newsletter.
  • Consideration: Your customers consider buying your products by comparing them with other options, reading more information, watching testimonials, or requesting samples. They feel interested and excited by your products and your benefits. They browse your online store, read your blog posts, watch your videos, or contact your customer service.
  • Decision: Your customers decide to buy your products by adding them to their cart, applying a coupon, or choosing a payment method. They feel confident and happy with their choice. They complete their purchase, receive a confirmation email, or leave a review.
  • Retention: Your customers continue to buy your products by reordering them, subscribing to them, or trying new ones. They feel satisfied and loyal with your brand. They receive your emails, join your loyalty program, or participate in your contests.
  • Advocacy: Your customers recommend your products to their friends, family, or followers. They feel proud and passionate about your brand. They share your posts, tag your brand, or create user-generated content.

By deciding who you want as your social media audience, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to connect with your audience on a deeper level and turn them into loyal customers and advocates.

How to understand your social media audience

After you have decided who you want as your social media audience, you need to understand them better. You need to know what they like, what they dislike, what they need, what they want, and what they expect from you. You also need to know how they behave, how they communicate, and how they consume content on social media. Understanding your audience will help you:

• Create content that matches their preferences: When you understand your audience, you can create content that appeals to their tastes, emotions, values, and goals. You can also use the formats, styles, and tones that suit them. This will help you create content that your audience will enjoy, appreciate, and remember.
• Choose the right platforms and channels: When you understand your audience, you can choose the platforms and channels where they spend most of their time and attention. You can also optimize your profiles and pages to fit their expectations. This will help you choose the platforms and channels that will give you the best results.
• Build relationships and trust: When you understand your audience, you can communicate with them effectively and authentically. You can also listen to their feedback, answer their questions, solve their problems, and show your appreciation. This will help you build relationships and trust with your audience.

How do you understand your social media audience? You can use the following methods:

• Conduct social media research: Social media research is the process of collecting and analyzing data from social media platforms, such as posts, comments, likes, shares, reviews, etc. You can use social media research to learn more about your audience’s demographics, psychographics, behavior, and sentiment. You can also use social media research to identify trends, opportunities, threats, and best practices in your industry and niche. You can use tools such as Google Trends, BuzzSumo, Social Mention, etc. to conduct social media research.
• Create social media surveys: Social media surveys are the process of asking your audience questions directly on social media platforms, such as polls, quizzes, stories, etc. You can use social media surveys to learn more about your audience’s opinions, preferences, needs, and expectations. You can also use social media surveys to test your ideas, get feedback, and generate engagement. You can use tools such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Pollfish, etc. to create social media surveys.
• Analyze social media analytics: Social media analytics is the process of measuring and evaluating your social media performance and results, such as reach, impressions, clicks, conversions, etc. You can use social media analytics to learn more about your audience’s behavior, actions, and outcomes. You can also use social media analytics to optimize your strategy, improve your content, and increase your ROI. You can use tools such as Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, Instagram Insights, etc. to analyze social media analytics.

By understanding your social media audience, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to connect with your audience on a deeper level and turn them into loyal customers and advocates.

How to select the right social media networks for your audience

One of the most important decisions you need to make in your social media marketing strategy is to select the right social media networks for your audience. There are many social media platforms available, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, etc. Each platform has its own features, benefits, drawbacks, and audience. You cannot use all of them effectively, nor should you. You need to choose the ones that are most suitable for your small business goals and your audience needs.

Why is it important to select the right social media networks for your audience? Because choosing the right networks will help you:

• Reach your audience where they are: When you select the right networks, you can reach your audience where they spend most of their time and attention. You can also avoid wasting your resources on platforms where your audience is not present or interested. This will help you increase your visibility and reach.
• Create content that fits the platform: When you select the right networks, you can create content that fits the platform’s format, style, and tone. You can also optimize your content for the platform’s algorithm, features, and best practices. This will help you create content that your audience will enjoy, appreciate, and remember.
• Build relationships and trust: When you select the right networks, you can communicate with your audience effectively and authentically. You can also use the platform’s tools and functions to interact with your audience, such as comments, messages, stories, live videos, etc. This will help you build relationships and trust with your audience.

How do you select the right social media networks for your audience? You can use the following criteria:

• Align your networks with your goals: For each network, you need to consider how it can help you achieve your social media marketing goals. For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you might want to use networks that have a large and diverse audience, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. If your goal is to generate leads and sales, you might want to use networks that have a high conversion rate, such as LinkedIn, YouTube, or Pinterest. If your goal is to improve customer service, you might want to use networks that have a fast and direct communication, such as Twitter, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp.
• Align your networks with your audience: For each network, you need to consider how it matches your audience’s preferences, behavior, and expectations. For example, if your audience is young and trendy, you might want to use networks that have a fun and creative vibe, such as Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat. If your audience is professional and serious, you might want to use networks that have a formal and informative tone, such as LinkedIn, Medium, or Quora. If your audience is visual and artistic, you might want to use networks that have a rich and beautiful design, such as Pinterest, YouTube, or Behance.
• Align your networks with your content: For each network, you need to consider how it suits your content’s format, style, and tone. For example, if your content is long and detailed, you might want to use networks that have a text-based and in-depth approach, such as blogs, newsletters, or podcasts. If your content is short and catchy, you might want to use networks that have a video-based and engaging style, such as YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram Reels. If your content is diverse and versatile, you might want to use networks that have a mixed-media and dynamic mode, such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

By selecting the right social media networks for your audience, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to connect with your audience on a deeper level and turn them into loyal customers and advocates.

How to investigate how your competitors approach social media

Another important step in creating your social media marketing strategy is to investigate how your competitors approach social media. Your competitors are the other businesses that offer similar products or services to your target market. You need to know who they are, what they do, and how they perform on social media. Investigating your competitors will help you:

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses: When you investigate your competitors, you can compare your social media performance and results with theirs. You can also identify the gaps and opportunities in your market and niche. This will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and improve your competitive advantage.
• Learn from their best practices and mistakes: When you investigate your competitors, you can learn from their best practices and mistakes. You can also discover new ideas, trends, and insights in your industry and niche. This will help you learn from their experience, and avoid their pitfalls.
• Differentiate your brand and offer: When you investigate your competitors, you can differentiate your brand and offer from theirs. You can also highlight your unique value proposition, benefits, and features. This will help you stand out from the crowd, and attract more customers.

How do you investigate how your competitors approach social media? You can use the following steps:

• Identify your main competitors: Your main competitors are the businesses that have a similar target market, offer, and goal as yours. You can use criteria such as size, location, reputation, and market share to identify your main competitors. You can also use tools such as Google, Bing, or SimilarWeb to find your main competitors online.
• Analyze their social media presence: For each competitor, you need to analyze their social media presence, such as the platforms they use, the profiles they have, the content they create, the engagement they generate, and the results they achieve. You can use tools such as Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, Instagram Insights, etc. to analyze their social media presence.
• Evaluate their social media strategy: For each competitor, you need to evaluate their social media strategy, such as the goals they have, the audience they target, the networks they choose, the content they plan, the actions they take, and the metrics they track. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, Porter’s five forces, or PESTEL analysis to evaluate their social media strategy.
• Compare your social media performance and results: For each competitor, you need to compare your social media performance and results with theirs. You can use tools such as benchmarking, gap analysis, or competitive matrix to compare your social media performance and results.

By investigating how your competitors approach social media, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to improve your competitive advantage, and win more customers.

How to establish a realistic social media budget

Another important step in creating your social media marketing strategy is to establish a realistic social media budget. Your social media budget is the amount of money you are willing and able to spend on your social media efforts. Your social media budget can include costs such as:

• Content creation: This includes the costs of creating, editing, and publishing your social media content, such as text, images, videos, etc. You might need to hire a content writer, a graphic designer, a video editor, or a content manager to help you with this task. You might also need to buy or subscribe to tools such as Canva, Adobe, or Lumen5 to help you with this task.
• Content promotion: This includes the costs of promoting your social media content, such as ads, boosts, sponsored posts, etc. You might need to pay a fee to the social media platforms or third-party services to help you with this task. You might also need to hire a social media marketer, an ad manager, or a campaign specialist to help you with this task.
• Content distribution: This includes the costs of distributing your social media content, such as tools, apps, plugins, etc. You might need to buy or subscribe to tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, or CoSchedule to help you with this task. You might also need to hire a social media coordinator, a scheduler, or a planner to help you with this task.
• Content engagement: This includes the costs of engaging with your social media audience, such as tools, bots, influencers, etc. You might need to buy or subscribe to tools such as Sprout Social, Chatfuel, or ManyChat to help you with this task. You might also need to hire a social media manager, a community manager, or an influencer to help you with this task.
• Content measurement: This includes the costs of measuring and evaluating your social media performance and results, such as tools, reports, analytics, etc. You might need to buy or subscribe to tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, or Socialbakers to help you with this task. You might also need to hire a social media analyst, a data scientist, or a consultant to help you with this task.

Why is it important to establish a realistic social media budget? Because having a realistic social media budget will help you:

• Allocate your resources efficiently: When you have a realistic social media budget, you can allocate your resources efficiently and effectively. You can prioritize your expenses, avoid overspending, and optimize your ROI. You can also plan your cash flow, track your spending, and adjust your budget as needed.
• Achieve your goals faster: When you have a realistic social media budget, you can achieve your goals faster and easier. You can invest in the right tools, services, and people to help you with your social media efforts. You can also leverage the power of paid promotion, influencer marketing, and chatbots to boost your results.
• Avoid financial stress and risk: When you have a realistic social media budget, you can avoid financial stress and risk. You can avoid running out of money, losing money, or wasting money on your social media efforts. You can also avoid legal issues, tax issues, or compliance issues related to your social media spending.

How do you establish a realistic social media budget? You can use the following steps:

• Estimate your potential revenue: Your potential revenue is the amount of money you expect to earn from your social media efforts. You can use metrics such as conversion rate, average order value, and customer lifetime value to estimate your potential revenue. For example, if you expect to convert 10% of your social media followers into customers, and your average order value is $50, and your customer lifetime value is $200, then your potential revenue per follower is $20 ($50 x 10% x 4).
• Calculate your desired ROI: Your desired ROI is the percentage of profit you want to make from your social media efforts. You can use a formula such as ROI = (Revenue - Cost) / Cost x 100 to calculate your desired ROI. For example, if you want to make a 50% profit from your social media efforts, then your desired ROI is 50%.
• Determine your maximum budget: Your maximum budget is the amount of money you can afford to spend on your social media efforts without losing money. You can use a formula such as Maximum Budget = Potential Revenue / (1 + Desired ROI) to determine your maximum budget. For example, if your potential revenue per follower is $20, and your desired ROI is 50%, then your maximum budget per follower is $13.33 ($20 / (1 + 0.5)).
• Divide your budget into categories: Your budget categories are the different types of costs you need to spend on your social media efforts, such as content creation, content promotion, content distribution, content engagement, and content measurement. You can use a percentage or a fixed amount to divide your budget into categories. For example, if your maximum budget per follower is $13.33, you might want to spend 40% on content creation, 30% on content promotion, 10% on content distribution, 10% on content engagement, and 10% on content measurement. This means that you can spend $5.33 on content creation, $4 on content promotion, $1.33 on content distribution, $1.33 on content engagement, and $1.33 on content measurement per follower.
• Adjust your budget according to your results: Your budget is not fixed and final. You need to adjust your budget according to your results and feedback. You need to monitor your metrics, analyze your data, and evaluate your performance. You need to identify what works and what does not work for your social media efforts. You need to do more of what works and less of what does not work. You need to test new ideas and experiment with different approaches. You need to optimize your budget according to your goals and ROI.

By establishing a realistic social media budget, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to manage your finances better, and increase your profits.

How to plan the types of content you intend to share

Another important step in creating your social media marketing strategy is to plan the types of content you intend to share. Your content is the information, entertainment, or education that you create and distribute on social media platforms, such as text, images, videos, etc. Your content is the main way you communicate with your audience, showcase your brand, and achieve your goals. Planning your content will help you:

• Create content that matches your goals: When you plan your content, you can create content that matches your social media marketing goals. You can also align your content with your brand’s mission, vision, and values. This will help you create content that supports your objectives and reflects your identity.
• Create content that matches your audience: When you plan your content, you can create content that matches your audience’s preferences, needs, expectations, and challenges. You can also use the language, tone, and style that resonates with them. This will help you create content that attracts, engages, and retains your audience.
• Create content that matches your networks: When you plan your content, you can create content that matches your social media networks’ format, style, and tone. You can also optimize your content for the networks’ algorithm, features, and best practices. This will help you create content that performs well and reaches more people.

How do you plan the types of content you intend to share? You can use the following steps:

• Define your content categories: Your content categories are the different topics, themes, or angles that you want to cover in your content. You can use criteria such as relevance, value, and variety to define your content categories. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, your content categories might be: product features, customer testimonials, skincare tips, industry news, behind-the-scenes, etc.
• Define your content formats: Your content formats are the different types, styles, and modes of your content, such as text, images, videos, etc. You can use criteria such as suitability, effectiveness, and diversity to define your content formats. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, your content formats might be: blog posts, infographics, tutorials, reviews, stories, etc.
• Define your content mix: Your content mix is the proportion and frequency of your content categories and formats. You can use criteria such as balance, consistency, and quality to define your content mix. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, your content mix might be: 40% product features, 20% customer testimonials, 20% skincare tips, 10% industry news, 10% behind-the-scenes; 50% text, 30% images, 20% videos; 3 posts per week, 1 story per day, etc.
• Define your content calendar: Your content calendar is the schedule and plan of your content creation and distribution. You can use criteria such as timing, seasonality, and events to define your content calendar. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, your content calendar might be: Monday: product feature (text), Tuesday: skincare tip (image), Wednesday: customer testimonial (video), Thursday: industry news (text), Friday: behind-the-scenes (story), etc.

By planning the types of content you intend to share, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to create content that your audience will love, share, and remember.

How to set up your accounts properly before you make and promote content

Another important step in creating your social media marketing strategy is to set up your accounts properly before you make and promote content. Your accounts are the profiles and pages that you create and manage on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, etc. Your accounts are the main way you represent your brand, showcase your offer, and interact with your audience. Setting up your accounts properly will help you:

• Create a consistent and professional image: When you set up your accounts properly, you can create a consistent and professional image for your brand. You can also align your accounts with your brand’s identity, personality, and voice. This will help you create a positive and memorable impression on your audience.
• Optimize your visibility and reach: When you set up your accounts properly, you can optimize your visibility and reach on social media platforms. You can also use the platforms’ features and functions to enhance your accounts, such as keywords, hashtags, tags, categories, etc. This will help you increase your exposure and traffic.
• Build relationships and trust: When you set up your accounts properly, you can build relationships and trust with your audience. You can also use the platforms’ tools and functions to communicate with your audience, such as bio, links, contact information, etc. This will help you establish your credibility and authority.

How do you set up your accounts properly before you make and promote content? You can use the following tips:

• Choose a suitable name: Your name is the first thing your audience will see and remember about your brand. You need to choose a name that is clear, catchy, and relevant to your brand. You also need to choose a name that is consistent across all platforms, and that is not already taken by someone else. You can use tools such as Namechk, Knowem, or Namevine to check the availability of your name on different platforms.
• Create a compelling bio: Your bio is the short description that summarizes your brand, your offer, and your value proposition. You need to create a bio that is concise, informative, and persuasive. You also need to create a bio that is customized for each platform, and that includes relevant keywords, hashtags, and links. You can use tools such as Bio.fm, Linktree, or Tap.bio to create and manage your bio on different platforms.
• Use a high-quality logo: Your logo is the visual symbol that represents your brand, your identity, and your personality. You need to use a logo that is high-quality, attractive, and distinctive. You also need to use a logo that is consistent across all platforms, and that fits the platform’s size and shape requirements. You can use tools such as Canva, Logo Maker, or Hatchful to create and edit your logo on different platforms.
• Use a captivating cover: Your cover is the large image that appears at the top of your profile or page. You need to use a cover that is captivating, relevant, and updated. You also need to use a cover that is consistent across all platforms, and that showcases your brand, your offer, or your campaign. You can use tools such as Canva, Crello, or Snappa to create and change your cover on different platforms.
• Complete your profile: Your profile is the collection of information that describes your brand, your offer, and your contact details. You need to complete your profile with all the necessary and relevant information, such as your location, your website, your email, your phone, etc. You also need to complete your profile with all the optional and helpful information, such as your mission, your vision, your values, your awards, etc. You can use tools such as Facebook Business Suite, Twitter Business, or Instagram Business to complete and manage your profile on different platforms.

By setting up your accounts properly before you make and promote content, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to represent your brand better, and connect with your audience more.

How to create suitable content to share with your followers

Another important step in creating your social media marketing strategy is to create suitable content to share with your followers. Your content is the information, entertainment, or education that you create and distribute on social media platforms, such as text, images, videos, etc. Your content is the main way you communicate with your followers, showcase your brand, and achieve your goals. Creating suitable content will help you:

• Create content that matches your goals: When you create suitable content, you can create content that matches your social media marketing goals. You can also align your content with your brand’s mission, vision, and values. This will help you create content that supports your objectives and reflects your identity.
• Create content that matches your audience: When you create suitable content, you can create content that matches your audience’s preferences, needs, expectations, and challenges. You can also use the language, tone, and style that resonates with them. This will help you create content that attracts, engages, and retains your audience.
• Create content that matches your networks: When you create suitable content, you can create content that matches your social media networks’ format, style, and tone. You can also optimize your content for the networks’ algorithm, features, and best practices. This will help you create content that performs well and reaches more people.

How do you create suitable content to share with your followers? You can use the following tips:

• Use the 80/20 rule: The 80/20 rule is a guideline that suggests that you should create 80% of your content to educate, entertain, or inspire your audience, and 20% of your content to promote your brand, your offer, or your call to action. This will help you create content that is valuable and relevant to your audience, and not too salesy or spammy.
• Use the AIDA model: The AIDA model is a framework that suggests that you should create content that follows four stages: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. This will help you create content that captures your audience’s attention, sparks their interest, arouses their desire, and prompts their action.
  • Attention: This is the stage where you create content that grabs your audience’s attention and makes them want to learn more. You can use techniques such as headlines, questions, statistics, facts, stories, or humor to create attention-grabbing content.
  • Interest: This is the stage where you create content that keeps your audience’s interest and makes them want to know more. You can use techniques such as benefits, features, testimonials, case studies, or comparisons to create interesting content.
  • Desire: This is the stage where you create content that triggers your audience’s desire and makes them want to have what you offer. You can use techniques such as emotions, values, scarcity, urgency, or social proof to create desirable content.
  • Action: This is the stage where you create content that encourages your audience’s action and makes them want to do what you want them to do. You can use techniques such as incentives, guarantees, discounts, offers, or calls to action to create actionable content.
• Use the 5 Ws and 1 H: The 5 Ws and 1 H are the questions that you should answer in your content to make it clear, complete, and informative. The 5 Ws and 1 H are: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. This will help you create content that covers all the essential information and details that your audience needs to know.
  • Who: This is the question that answers who is involved in your content, such as your brand, your audience, your customers, your partners, etc. You can use techniques such as names, titles, roles, or personas to answer this question.
  • What: This is the question that answers what is happening in your content, such as your offer, your problem, your solution, your result, etc. You can use techniques such as descriptions, explanations, definitions, or examples to answer this question.
  • When: This is the question that answers when is your content happening, such as your timeline, your schedule, your deadline, your event, etc. You can use techniques such as dates, times, durations, or frequencies to answer this question.
  • Where: This is the question that answers where is your content happening, such as your location, your platform, your channel, your destination, etc. You can use techniques such as addresses, maps, directions, or links to answer this question.
  • Why: This is the question that answers why is your content happening, such as your purpose, your goal, your reason, your benefit, etc. You can use techniques such as objectives, outcomes, motivations, or values to answer this question.
  • How: This is the question that answers how is your content happening, such as your process, your method, your strategy, your plan, etc. You can use techniques such as steps, tips, guides, or checklists to answer this question.

By creating suitable content to share with your followers, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to create content that your audience will love, share, and remember.

How to promote your social channels

Another important step in creating your social media marketing strategy is to promote your social channels. Your social channels are the profiles and pages that you create and manage on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, etc. Your social channels are the main way you represent your brand, showcase your offer, and interact with your audience. Promoting your social channels will help you:

• Grow your audience and reach: When you promote your social channels, you can grow your audience and reach on social media platforms. You can also attract more potential customers, existing customers, influencers, advocates, and other stakeholders. This will help you increase your visibility and exposure.
• Increase your engagement and loyalty: When you promote your social channels, you can increase your engagement and loyalty on social media platforms. You can also encourage more interactions, feedback, reviews, and referrals. This will help you build relationships and trust with your audience.
• Boost your results and ROI: When you promote your social channels, you can boost your results and ROI on social media platforms. You can also generate more traffic, leads, sales, and profits. This will help you achieve your goals and grow your business.

How do you promote your social channels? You can use the following methods:

• Cross-promote your social channels: Cross-promotion is the method of promoting your social channels on other social channels, such as sharing your Instagram posts on Facebook, linking your YouTube videos on Twitter, or embedding your Pinterest boards on your blog. You can use cross-promotion to increase your exposure and traffic across different platforms, and to encourage your audience to follow you on multiple channels.
• Use social media buttons and widgets: Social media buttons and widgets are the tools that allow you to display your social channels on your website, blog, email, or other online platforms, such as Facebook Like button, Twitter Follow button, Instagram Feed widget, etc. You can use social media buttons and widgets to increase your visibility and reach on different platforms, and to encourage your audience to follow you on your social channels.
• Use social media contests and giveaways: Social media contests and giveaways are the activities that allow you to reward your audience for following, liking, sharing, commenting, or tagging your social channels, such as Facebook sweepstakes, Twitter retweets, Instagram hashtags, etc. You can use social media contests and giveaways to increase your engagement and loyalty on different platforms, and to encourage your audience to spread the word about your brand and your offer.
• Use social media ads and boosts: Social media ads and boosts are the paid options that allow you to promote your social channels on social media platforms, such as Facebook ads, Twitter ads, Instagram ads, etc. You can use social media ads and boosts to increase your exposure and reach on different platforms, and to target your audience based on their demographics, psychographics, behavior, and interests.
• Use social media influencers and advocates: Social media influencers and advocates are the people who have a large and loyal following on social media platforms, and who can influence their followers’ opinions, decisions, and actions, such as bloggers, vloggers, celebrities, experts, etc. You can use social media influencers and advocates to increase your credibility and authority on different platforms, and to reach new and niche audiences that trust and respect them.

By promoting your social channels, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to grow your online presence and reputation, and win more customers and advocates.

How to track your results and adapt your social media plan

The last step in creating your social media marketing strategy is to track your results and adapt your social media plan. Your results are the outcomes and impacts of your social media efforts, such as reach, impressions, clicks, conversions, etc. Your plan is the outline and guide of your social media efforts, such as goals, audience, networks, content, budget, etc. Tracking your results and adapting your plan will help you:

• Evaluate your performance and progress: When you track your results and adapt your plan, you can evaluate your performance and progress on social media platforms. You can also compare your results with your benchmarks and targets, and identify your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you measure your success and learn from your experience.
• Optimize your strategy and actions: When you track your results and adapt your plan, you can optimize your strategy and actions on social media platforms. You can also test new ideas, experiment with different approaches, and improve your content, engagement, and promotion. This will help you enhance your effectiveness and efficiency.
• Achieve your goals and grow your business: When you track your results and adapt your plan, you can achieve your goals and grow your business on social media platforms. You can also increase your traffic, leads, sales, and profits, and expand your online presence and reputation. This will help you grow your business and win more customers and advocates.

How do you track your results and adapt your social media plan? You can use the following steps:

• Monitor your metrics regularly: You need to monitor your metrics regularly, such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. You need to use the tools and methods that you have chosen to measure your metrics, such as Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, Instagram Insights, etc. You need to use dashboards, reports, and alerts to monitor your metrics and stay updated.
• Analyze your data and draw insights: You need to analyze your data and draw insights from your metrics. You need to use the tools and methods that you have chosen to analyze your data, such as Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Socialbakers, etc. You need to look for patterns, trends, correlations, and anomalies in your data. You need to ask questions, such as why, how, what, and so what. For example, why did your reach increase in March? How did your campaign affect your conversions? What are the best times to post on Instagram? So what can you do to improve your results?
• Adjust your plan and actions based on your insights: You need to adjust your plan and actions based on your insights from your data and metrics. You need to use the tools and methods that you have chosen to adjust your plan and actions, such as Hootsuite, Buffer, CoSchedule, etc. You need to identify what works and what does not work for your social media efforts. You need to do more of what works and less of what does not work. You need to test new ideas and experiment with different approaches. You need to optimize your plan and actions based on your insights and goals.

By tracking your results and adapting your social media plan, you will be able to create a more effective and personalized social media marketing strategy for your small business. You will also be able to improve your competitive advantage, and win more customers and advocates.

Conclusion

Social media marketing is a powerful tool for small businesses to connect with potential customers, increase brand awareness, and generate sales. However, creating a social media marketing strategy can be challenging and overwhelming. In this blog post, we have shown you how to create a great social media marketing strategy for your small business in 2023. We have covered the following topics:

• Why use social media for your small business
• How to define your social media marketing goals
• How to determine your most relevant metrics
• How to decide who you want as your social media audience
• How to understand your social media audience
• How to select the right social media networks for your audience
• How to investigate how your competitors approach social media
• How to establish a realistic social media budget
• How to plan the types of content you intend to share
• How to set up your accounts properly before you make and promote content
• How to create suitable content to share with your followers
• How to promote your social channels
• How to engage with your audiences
• How to build a community for your audience
• How to consider paid promotion to boost your audiences
• How to consider working with influencers to widen your reach
• How to consider working with brand advocates
• How to consider using chatbots as part of your social media marketing strategy
• How to run cross-channel campaigns
• How to track your results and adapt your social media plan

By following these steps, you will be able to create a social media marketing strategy that suits your small business needs and goals. You will also learn how to optimize your reach and grow your online presence. We hope you found this blog post helpful and informative. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading and happy social media marketing!