Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok …it seems as if every few months, there’s a new social media platform that everyone is jumping on, peddling their content, and vying for attention. For small businesses, it can be difficult to manage existing social media accounts, let alone add new ones. And since different platforms cater to different audiences, content has to be packaged accordingly. This is what tends to happen:
In a burst of enthusiasm, some overextended member of the team creates company accounts on multiple platforms.
Content is scraped together, rather than conscientiously planned in a content calendar.
The same content is slapped across all the feeds, until the social media channels are abandoned when more urgent business comes up.
The result is that many small businesses have multiple accounts open, with cheesy content that is a far cry from the marketing goals they originally planned.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
This year, opt to simplify by customizing your company’s social media presence to fit your target audience, that is to say, your customer. Keeping your client at the forefront of your social media decisions not only simplifies your digital marketing efforts, but enhances them by making your campaigns and content targeted, and therefore efficient. Here’s how to do it:
If you’re a B2B, keep in mind that your social media efforts should be focused on establishing yourself as a reputable business, rather than getting the most likes. Rather than trying to learn and post the latest TikTok dance, your accounts should emphasize the quality of your company’s product or service. This means highlighting any innovations or awards or sharing thought-leadership pieces from company executives. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are optimal for sharing your company’s insights and growth with an audience that will be receptive (and responsive) to your content.
B2Cs need to appeal directly to consumers and therefore rely more heavily on social media than B2Bs. This doesn’t mean that you need to be on every single platform, though. Identifying key customer demographics, such as age and gender, can be very helpful in determining where to spend social media time and money. A hunting goods store doesn’t need a robust Pinterest presence, for example, and a teen clothing store probably doesn’t need to constantly update their Facebook page. Depending on who your customer is, your B2C will want to focus on image-driven platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
It may be tempting to overextend your company’s presence on social media in order to get in front of as many eyeballs as possible, but focusing on producing quality content and sharing it on the appropriate platforms will ultimately get you better results. Customizing your social media presence to your ideal audience not only saves you precious resources but also leads to more effective marketing.
Need help identifying your target audience and how to reach them? Contact us now, we’d love to help you get started.