Everything YOU need to know about social media for your business!
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We live in a saturated world, with different content across multiple platforms that all compete for your attention. Each platform brings its own respective benefits, but how can you be sure you're not spreading your social media presence too thin? This is when it becomes vital to truly know your audience, understand what they want and what platforms they use to get what they are searching for.
Speaking to Bonolo "BeeSting" Molosiwa from YOUFM, our social media manager, Michaela Geldhof, answered all the questions that business owners need to know when it comes to taking their businesses further with social media
1. What social media platforms are best for your business?
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1. If you are wanting to sell products, Instagram has now become one of the easiest places to shop, and to curate a shop that aesthetically aligns with your brand. This is a great space to target a younger audience who regularly shop via mobile, so do spend some time looking into how to customize your Instagram shop with the products you sell. It is important to note that you should not rely only on the number of followers you have for conversions - as the number of engagements is a far better indicator of your true score - and shows who is active on your profile.
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2. Facebook can help you to build your email list and really target the audience that you're aiming to reach. Many businesses like to make their own private groups on the platform for paying customers. This instils a sense of community within the scope of your brand and your audience, which goes further than a mere product or service. However, in order to really maximize the benefit of Facebook, it is recommended to run ads - and have a specialist oversee this process for you.
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3. When it comes to Twitter, not many people know that you can monetize from this platform. In fact, Twitter Ads actually see 1-3% more success than Facebook! With its limited characters, Twitter is a platform that reduces the amount of "noise" people can make. This encourages you, as a business user, to be punchy and to the point. This is a great space to quickly add value to your audience, create and engage in meaningful conversations, and it's ideal for affiliate marketing as it doesn't require a huge following. However, to get the most out of it involves more activity time than most platforms - so make sure your posts add value to your audience with a Youtube link or an article click.
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4. If you are wanting to network or recruit, LinkedIn is the place for you! People don't typically go on LinkedIn for entertainment purposes or online shopping. Instead, this is a digital space where people go to learn more about their industry and to link up with other like-minded professionals. So, this is where questions and conversational content works the best!
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5. Youtube is the place you want to be if you have information to share that won't effectively come across in blogs, such as tutorials. This is a great way to add value to your customers and a great place to reach international audiences if you run ads. People go to Youtube for entertainment, and to learn things, so to reach the people that are searching for the information you are sharing, make sure you properly optimize your videos for Youtube SEO - especially focusing on your titles and description.
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6. Pinterest is one of the top social media platforms for small businesses. The majority of the users of this platform are women and it's a great place to scroll for inspiration with over 5 billion pinterest boards! Not many people are aware but advertising on Pinterest is less expensive and more profitable than advertising on Facebook and Twitter. Pinterest can also be a great way to drive traffic to your website..
2. What is the most important social media metric a business should monitor regularly?
It is all dependent on your goal for the specific platform that you have decided to use. The rule of thumb is that the more engagements you get on your profile the more traction you get, thus boosting your algorithm score. So, for example, if you have 1000 followers on Instagram and you have 500+ likes/comments on each post, your content will start to show on the Instagram Explore page - as over 50% of your audience finds your content valuable enough to engage with. But, if you have 1000 followers, and have less than 100 likes on each post, ending up with less than 10% engagement, it's best to rethink your content. This is something that ultimately affects your reach, hindering your chance to attract new followers.
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3. How important is it to have an active social media presence or profile?
This is something that is very dependent on you. Two of the main factors to consider are your career, and what you want to share with the world. If you are involved with the media or entertainment industry, for instance, it makes sense to have an active social media presence to showcase the projects you are involved in and build up your portfolio. Essentially, if you want to bring in brand awareness, sell a product or service, or even get a job, these days it is important to work on your social media presence. When people are hiring you or looking to network, 9 out of 10 times they will give your social media a stalk. Social media can be your doorway to multiple opportunities, if you've got a good aesthetic and you are saying things that are relatable and really engaging with your followers it will be noticed. And don't be afraid to reach out to people on DM's, if you like someone's work tell them! You never know it might sprout a collaboration.
4. How can I avoid cyber identity theft and hackers?
There are definitely some people who are up to no good on social media! Be vigilant. Don't share your passwords with anyone. Avoid logging in on multiple devices. Don't ever tap on strange links or join random chats. Never be afraid to block people. GO WITH YOUR GUT!
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5. How would you advise young people to use their social media accounts and what to look out for?
Your social media presence will quickly become your virtual CV or portfolio at one some stage of your life. Even if you don't want it to be perceived that way, it's open to the public, or someone who knows someone you know can link through to it - so bear that in mind. That's not to say that you should not express yourself on your own profile (because social media was built for self-expression!) but it's better not to showcase how much fun you're really having. Remember that some things could be taken out of context, and may be taken the wrong way - which could ultimately damage future prospects, opportunities or your reputation. Go ahead and be proud of yourself - but before posting, always ask yourself, "What is the purpose of this post?" Is it to share a wholesome memory? To show the success of your work, or are you posting it to make your ex jealous? If it's the latter, think deeper about how that might affect you in the future. Also, be careful of people reaching out to you on those posts where you do look extra cute, cat-fishing is a real thing!
6. What's the most important thing a social media manager should be doing?
Honestly, finding balance. Social media will never be a quiet space. There's always a never-ending list of what more you can do. It's certainly not your usual 9-5 job so it's important to find an activity where you can switch off and move away from that screen time. (Investing in blue-light glasses is a great tactic too!) Also take your job and yourself seriously. Not everyone understands what a social media manager does and how much we actually have to juggle. It's one of the newest industries in the world so of course it's going to be questioned and perhaps not taken as seriously as it should in the beginning. So if you're questioned about it, that's okay, rather show people what you do than try to explain
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When used correctly, social media can be an extremely powerful tool for your business. However, just like most tools, you need to know how to use it effectively in order to gain maximum results. This is where we come in.
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