Social media is the live wire of small businesses in the post-covid 19 era. Many small business owners have limited means and in other cases, the owners wear many hats in the organization which places a huge demand on their time. Small business owners are often involved in every sphere of business. Marketing is essential to small businesses success, as are the small business's day-to-day operations. The enormous tasks mean small businesses have to come up with ways to perform many tasks at limited costs 

Small business owners need social media as an effective tool to generate exposure and increase traffic for their business at a function of the cost of traditional marketing approaches. 

The use of social media as an effective marketing tool requires a strategy. A strategy that ensures that all your efforts are geared towards goals that will help your business grow

At IABC Africa, we recognise the importance of social media to the growth of your business, which is why we have put together a comprehensive guide. Whether you want to create social media strategy for your business or you want to adopt a new strategy different from the one you are using now.

This guide has got you covered

Research your audience 

-Be conversant with your audience. There is no place for assumption in social media marketing 

You should know the age range you are targeting, their interest, the events they attend, their location, and their income. This information is important as it will help you align your social media content t suit the audience you have good followership on social media already. You need to know if your audience on that platform will be open to buying from you. Are there things you need to do before you introduce your business, to your followers on your persona account? 

If you already have a business, you don't have to start from scratch, because you must have acquired a good number of your target audience

Set up your social media account

Having laid the foundation and established who your audience is. You have to set up your social media account. Different platforms attract a different audience 

The popular social media platforms today are Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp

At this stage of your business, you don’t need to be active on all social media platforms.

Choose the ones that work best for your business.

A baker starting off her business needs WhatsApp and an Instagram account to thrive as a small business as she progresses in her business, she can now expand 

So set up your profile on social media

Create a clean profile that won’t leave your potential customers in doubt over what you do. 

Make sure your pictures are perfect and the designs are appealing to the eyes. 

Aesthetics matter for small businesses. Your potential customers online want to be convinced they are getting a deal by patronizing you. You have to put in the effort to make sure your pictures and graphics appear to the eye

Create a content bank 

Create a content bank that will align with your business goals. Choose the right words that resonate with your audience. It works well if you create a day or two to do this each month. 

Identify hashtags and keywords

This requires research. Check out the trending keywords in your industry. The hashtags make it easier for your audience to find your content. It is a critical strategy in reaching your audience

Create a content schedule 

This can be automated with the right tools and app eg, Hootsuite can set up your schedule for the week. 

The content schedule also allows you to know the day and time you post. There are days you need live posts to appear on the live feeds of your target audience. 

Tweak and improve based on the feedback 

As you implement these strategies, track the results and make notes of what works for you. Track the performances and find out the platform that works and the ones that don’t work. 

Prompt response to customers' questions and comments 

You don’t want to leave a negative impression on your customers. Respond promptly to their questions and provide the answers they need quickly. 

Apply these strategies to your business and watch your business blossom