Are you interested in learning how strategic use of social media can help your small business? Do terms like ‘tweeting,’ ‘tagging’ and ‘pinning’ confuse you? It can be difficult to decide which social platform or platforms work best for your business. But fear not! We’re here to help -- after reading these small business social media tips you’ll be a social media whiz… or at least have a good handle on the topic  

Facebook:

• When creating a Facebook profile for your business, it is important that you create a business page, as opposed to a personal page.

• Encourage friends, family members and customer’s to ‘like’ your page and add reviews. This will help increase exposure as friends of friends see the connection.

• Always consider adding an image – according to BufferSocial, if a post on Facebook contains an image, it is 39% more likely to create engagement than a text-based post.

Twitter:

• If you’re looking for a quick way to increase customer service, Twitter may be best. Users tend to ‘tweet at’ your Twitter account in their message, giving you the opportunity to answer and questions or complaints.

• Twitter newsfeeds are constantly updating, so Fast Company recommends posting a minimum of five times a day. The purpose of Twitter is to share exciting information and opportunities in a quick 140 character message.

• Hashtags are also a great way to gain exposure. For example, if you’re a restaurant looking to promote your new menu, you may want to include a hashtag such as #Foodie. This creates an easy connection for interaction and increases the visibility of your post within Twitter search results.

Instagram:  

• Visual content is heavily valued when it comes to a social presence. Instagram should be used to create a conversation with your clientele through pictures or videos.

• Instagram is an inexpensive platform to showcase your business by posting lifestyle photos that coincide with your brand. Like Twitter, hashtags are widely used with Instagram and allow other users to see your pictures based on a chosen category.

• Instagram is also ideal for posting contests and giveaways. For example, a contest post could read, “Come into our store and show us this Instagram post for a free piece of candy.” Before posting, do make sure your contest abides with Instagram’s terms & conditions.

Pinterest: 

• Pinterest allows you to create ‘boards’ that can range from D.I.Y. projects to cute pictures of puppies.

• The content a business curates on this platform is more about connecting with a consumer through their interests than selling your product.

• One benefit of Pinterest is that pins link to a company website and will be repined by others, which increases brand awareness.

• If you post images on Pinterest that link back to your company’s website, make sure you do so in a way that is balanced with other content you post. Doing that makes your Pinterest page more interesting to the general consumer and more likely to earn their attention.

LinkedIn:

• As a social media platform for professionals, LinkedIn’s main purpose is to enhance career growth and networking.

• This platform can be beneficial to a business when it is looking to expand. Small businesses can use it to find new individuals to hire post company achievements and stay up-to-date on industry news.

• LinkedIn is not the right platform for random fun facts or silly memes.

Now you’re ready to take on the social media universe with our tips on using social media for your small business! So tweet, post and pin away! Check out our other posts about small businesses and companies in NJ here if you are seeking more guidance like this. Feel free to browse around the rest of our site for other local NJ news, events in Jersey City and other community information today!