1. Social Media is where your customers are

With over 2.38 billion Facebook users, 1 billion Insta-lovers and 500 million ambitious LinkedIn members, chances are your business customers are also connected via one or more social media channels. So it makes sense to play in this space. What’s more, potential customers will go looking for you on social media and be a little distrustful if you don’t have a presence.

2.  Social Media advertising

This can either be deliberate, through paid advertisements or via posts. Considering that more than half of social media users access their favourite platform every day, this opens you up to a wide audience to keep your brand top-of-mind.

3. Give your Brand some personality

The great thing about social media is that you can connect with your customers – loyal, potential or otherwise – without making them feel as though you’re ‘selling something’. You can alternate posts between showing off your product, giving followers a peek into the behind-the-scenes action of your business, plugging a sale, or sharing a fun meme.

4. Engage with your customers

If you schedule your daily posts, it can be easy to then forget about following up any reaction that they may have sparked – positive or negative. For example, if you have announced a sale teasing that there is only ‘limited stock available’ and then have customers asking if there are any left, you can’t leave them hanging! Customers can have a multitude of questions: opening hours on public holidays, available parking, postage fees, returns policy etc. It’s vital you take the time to answer these questions.

5. Benefit from reviews and recommendations

There is a ‘reviews’ section on Facebook… for a reason. New customers will want to know if they can expect a good experience with your product. Happy, loyal customers will want everyone to know how great you are. And those who have a bad experience will also want to share. In the case of a bad review, follow up – ask to contact them directly and discuss their experience, look at ways to improve, promise to do so, and then demonstrate it. A simple ‘thank you, glad you enjoyed your meal/coffee/experience’ can also extend on a positive review.

6. Drive people to your website

As important as social media is, it is also imperative you have a website. It doesn’t need to be full of bells and whistles, in fact the ‘less is more’ approach is very appealing in this mobile-phone driven era. An ‘easy-to-find’ link to your website on your social media pages provides a platform for your users to shop online, flick through an enquiry, request a quote, or make a booking.