Identify your target audience. Generally speaking, your business has a split target audience:
- Start by recognizing your current customer base. Are they generally older in age? Younger?
- Think about what kinds of social media your existing customer base might be using. You can conduct an informal survey by asking customers while they make their usual purchases.
- You’ll need to make some predictions about your potential customer base, but a little online research might help. Try looking at the social media platforms of your biggest competitors to see what demographics of their customers follow them online.
Sign up for your social media platform(s). Once you’ve identified your target audience, you’re ready to sign up for a social media account. Social media accounts are free and are generally easy to manage, but you’ll want to check each platform’s guidelines and user terms for business accounts – they may be different from those for personal accounts.
Consider using a social media manager. Many people think a social media manager requires the hiring of additional staff to manage online accounts. However, you can manage your online presence without having to hire any additional employees, and still maintain control of your business’s online presence.
Let people know you’re on social media. You might gain some traction with people searching blindly for your social media page, but the best way to promote your online presence is by letting people know about it. Tell your customers that you’re now online.You can also provide the username/handle for your social media accounts on your business cards.
Find friends/followers online. Once you’ve established an online account, you’ll need to attract followers/friends who will view your posts. Start with current customers, and work towards reaching an increasingly broad audience of potential future customers.
Start posting on social media. Your posts on social media should be more than just a self promotion. You can post information about your business, relevant information about the industry you work in, and share (or post your own) photographs of customers frequenting and enjoying your business.
