Savvy small business owners know that to get the best results from social media, they need to engage their target audience – their customers – with valuable content. Online followers aren’t typically big fans of self-promoting companies that use social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest purely for free advertising. For the best results, businesses need to create posts that educate, entertain and engage with their followers, while still promoting their products and services. Here are 4 ways to help successfully engage with customers and promote your small business through social media:
1. Start a Conversation: most people enjoy sharing their opinions online, so a great way to start a conversation is to comment on recent (related) industry news, then ask your followers to weigh in on the topic. For example, if you’re a florist, you might want to comment on Bride Magazine’s latest article about Winter Flower Crowns. Then you can ask your followers what they think – not only will this engage with your online community, but it will provide great insight into what potential customers are looking for from their bridal florist.
2. Share Your Knowledge: one of the best ways to showcase your business (and your expertise) is to post little-known fun facts in the form of questions. For example, a bridal shop could post the question: Do you know the length of the world’s longest wedding gown train? Then they could make a special offer for the first person to post the correct answer. (By the way, the answer is 1.85 miles!)
3. Provide Value: while fun posts that reflect your personality help entertain and engage with your followers, you also want to create educational content that benefits customers. This can be anything from posting tips on choosing a wedding cake, to providing links to interesting articles about wedding day emergency kits, to offering special deals on your products or services.
4. Special Offers for Check-ins: a great way to engage with customers and generate new business is to offer special rewards for followers who check-in, either online or in person. For example, if you’re attending a bridal event (like a Great Bridal Expo!), you can let your followers know that everyone who visits your booth and posts a photo on Facebook will receive a free gift. Their friends on social networks will see when they’ve checked in with you – and you’ll significantly increase awareness of your business.
If you’d like to learn more about what else you can do to raise awareness of your business, send an email to info@greatbridalexpo.com and we’ll have one of our Bridal Marketing Specialists talk you through what’s possible!