9 tips to improve your social media presence

Despite the recent Facebook controversy and changes on other social platforms which limit the effectiveness of advertising, SMEs can still benefit from an active social media presence, given the continuing popularity of such networks and the dominance of the mobile phone.

If your firm still lacks an social media strategy, or has a Facebook page and Twitter account which has languished unused for years, then the following checklist, suggested by government business advisors, could help sharpen your message and get better results.

Know your audience

It’s important to know who your customers are, the better you know your customers the more you will appeal to them on social media.

Questions to consider when getting to know your customers could include their average age and gender, and their budget and location.  You should also discover the aspects of online shopping they value, whether they competing businesses and why.

Where are your customers hanging out online?

Find out which social media platform your customers use and develop a presence there. This will allow you to target specific audiences that may be valuable to your business.
To find out which platforms your customers prefer you could complete a survey, find out where competing businesses have their largest online presence and ask your customers in person.

Use a social media management tool

Social media management platforms can make it easier to post on multiple platforms at once, schedule posts in advance when your users will be most active and collaborate with your team on social media posts.  They can also monitor your social media feeds from a single dashboard and analyse and generate reports on your social media engagement.

Have the same username for all platforms

Decide what your username will be across all of your social media platforms and your website. Choose something that suits your brand, is memorable and easy to spell.  This allows your customers to quickly and easily find you or follow you on multiple platforms. Remember, this will form part of your online business identity.

Install follow buttons on your website

If your website receives a lot of traffic, maximise the number of followers you have on social media by adding follow buttons on your webpages. This allows your viewers to quickly and easily follow you on social media and keep up-to-date with your business.

Format content for each platform

Remember to use content that is appropriate for the social media platform you’re posting to!  Certain media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are better for connecting with people, while platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube are more appropriate for sharing media.

Look for cross-promotional opportunities

Engage with other businesses who a similar demographic and seek out opportunities for cross-promotion. By reposting content it shows you care about your online community and as a result their audience may eventually become yours.

Offer exclusive content or products on social media

Give your customers a reason to follow you on social media, one way to do this is to provide exclusive content, products or discounts to your followers.

Be relatable

Keep it simple! When writing content remember that your audience can range from amateurs to experts. Industry jargon should be avoided and if necessary, clearly explained to the reader.

It’s also important to come across as a real person not a machine, add some warmth, personality and occasional humour to your posts and remember, it’s called ‘social’ media for a reason!

Find more tips for your business at business.gov.au.