According to Pew Research Center, 90% of young adults use social media, and 72% of all adult internet users are on Facebook. The Social Examiner reported in 2015 that 92% of marketers say social media benefits their business. Furthermore, the same site reported marketers who spend a minimum of 6 hours per week on social media see a return of investment in leads from social media.

Despite these findings, 24% of small business owners do not have a social media account, (source) and far less actively post to their accounts with a whopping 55% of small business owners reporting social is “too time consuming.” (Source). What’s more, 89% of messages to businesses via social media get ignored. (Source)

Why Social Marketing Should be a Priority for Your Business

Social media offers a flexible platform to build your brand, conduct consumer research, engage with customers, and promote your products and services. What’s more, social helps users find your website, as your page can show up in search results.

For even more reasons to be on social, consider the following:

• 50% of millennials research products before making a purchase by using an internet-based search engine
• 46% of all internet users look to social media for product referrals before purchase
• 59% of social media users prefer social media for it’s ease of use when seeking customer service from a business
• 50% of B2B purchasers use LinkedIn to conduct research before a purchase

Social media influenced an incredible 52% of both offline and online purchases in 2015

Tips for Your Business Page

1. Utilize a social calendar, and schedule your posts out a month in advance

A calendar can help you ensure social media doesn’t become a last priority as urgent business needs arise. By scheduling your posts out for a month, you will ensure you have a consistent, online social presence

2. Plan to check your accounts daily, (ideally multiple times a day)

The average social user will only wait 4 hours for a response on social, (source) so checking your pages frequently can better the chance you won’t miss out on a sale or end up with an unhappy customer. It’s a good idea to set aside time each day to ensure you have enough hours to respond to social users.  

3. Ask questions

Asking your audience thoughtful questions not only increases your chances for engagement, you can also learn valuable information about your clients. Just think of topics you’d be likely to respond to when choosing the subject of quick poll.

4. Use images

Facebook posts with images get 2.3X the engagement as posts without images. Ideally, you’d use two or three images which have been shown to drive engagement even more than single image posts. Users also tend to interact more if the image is not a stock photo. Consider taking professional-looking images around your business, with your clients, or images which showcase your services or products.

5. Don’t oversell

Your users are more likely to engage with your page if you provide them with informative posts. For example, if you work for a cleaning company, sharing posts about how to get organized would keep your followers interested in your page, as opposed to constant promotions. In fact, 46% of people will unfollow a brand if they post too many advertisements for their business. (Source)

Get Started Today!

Social media is a great tool for your business. If you are wondering how to boost your engagement, generate leads, or create incredible content, contact the award-winning social media experts at Organically using the form below! We offer affordable solutions for small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike.

By Amara Young