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It can be overwhelming to navigate your small business’s marketing while staying on top of day-to-day operations. Luckily, Erica Spitzley and Cassie Tucker, hosts of the Marketing Happy Hour podcast, are here to help. Each week, the pair speaks with a new personality from the marketing world about strategies and techniques companies can use to optimize their brands.
In an increasingly digital world, one of the biggest obstacles business owners face is knowing how and when to post on social media. Feeling like you don’t know enough to manage an account and worrying about doing something wrong can lead some small business owners to neglect their profiles entirely. Listen to this Behind the review Follow below to hear directly from Cassie and Erica.
All it takes to be successful on social media is a solid strategy, Cassie said. Research your competitors to find out what makes you unique so you can effectively communicate why someone should visit your company instead of the company in the future. Find out what types of consumers you want to target and what their interests and preferred platforms are. The goal of social media is to share who you are and build a community with customers, especially at a time when people use apps as search engines to research products and brands.
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“I like to think about it [a social media profile] “Would you go on a first date assuming that this person already knows everything about you and is ready for marriage?” No, you will take the time to really share the things about yourself, the things about the other person help you discover who you are and who you serve.”
One way to build an authentic online presence is to use influencers and user-generated content (UGC) to showcase your products or services. Erica recommends sending your products or offering your services to consumers to promote this type of content, whether that person is a specific content creator that fits your niche or a social media User who is already talking about your company online.
“[Influencer marketing] is just another way to inspire a community that isn’t necessarily like that [about] Spending thousands of dollars on these huge influencers you see everywhere promoting big brands. “Partnerships that are individual, creative and community-focused are a really good place to start,” Erica said.
Related: How to Create a Successful Marketing Plan in 5 Steps
Many business owners have concerns about investing time and money in their online presence because followers and likes don’t translate into actual visits and purchases. Not every post will result in a purchase when you use social media to tell your brand’s story. However, when promoting a specific promotion, Cassie suggested publishing exclusive coupon codes that customers can access through a specific link or by mentioning the promotion when they visit your store in person. This tactic can help business owners measure the concrete success of their social media efforts.
Another important part of using social media is reviewing and engaging with customer feedback. Although it can be difficult to change your habits, Cassie encouraged small business owners to use reviews and online comments to think about how they can improve their business, especially if it’s a suggestion that’s been raised several times.
One way to prepare for feedback, Erica says, is to anticipate potential questions and comments from customers and create template answers to draw from. By curating parts of your responses in advance, you can quickly engage with a customer while staying true to your brand voice. Erica also encouraged business owners to ask for more details when they receive feedback.
“Every time someone reaches out to us to talk about Marketing Happy Hour or to say they enjoyed a particular episode, I always ask them, ‘I’d like to hear more about what you particularly enjoyed. Are there any topics that interest you?’ will you hear from us in the future?’ There’s nothing better than feedback from people who actually use your product or visit your store.”
Brick-and-mortar businesses have a unique opportunity to intercept critical reviews or comments by addressing current concerns. Companies that engage with their customers face-to-face should have processes in place to ensure that a manager is given the opportunity to speak with dissatisfied customers before they leave the building.
Despite the variety of tactics and strategies available to make marketing easier for small businesses, juggling multiple projects at once can take a toll. Erica and Cassie encourage business owners to prioritize initiatives and take time for themselves to avoid the burnout that so often accompanies entrepreneurship. Set boundaries for your workday and make sure new projects align with your goals and schedule before pursuing them.
“As corporate professionals and business owners, we get into this hectic mode. We never take a day off and it really ends up ruining us,” Cassie said.
In addition to the power of strategic and communications plans, Cassie and Erica believe in the following:
- Use social media to tell a strategic story about your company. Before developing content, identify your audience, your competitive advantage, and what types of posts will help you achieve your marketing goals.
- Addressing customer comments. Use feedback to improve your business operations and develop answers to frequently asked questions in advance to ensure your answers are both thoughtful and timely.
- Using tools like exclusive social media coupon codes. By developing unique links and codes, you can measure how many of your purchases are a direct result of your digital marketing efforts.
Subscribe to Behind the Review to receive more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday. Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora and Soundcloud.
Editorial contributions from Callie Morgan and Kristi Lindahl