Social media for small businesses - Brought to you by NatWest

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Social media can be an incredibly powerful tool for small businesses. Here are four tips to help you get the most out of this key area of digital marketing.

1. Pick the right platforms

There’s a wide range of social media platforms out there, which can make it difficult to decide which ones will be the right fit for your business. Think about the audience you’d like to reach and where they’re most active, and then choose your platforms accordingly. For example, a cafe owner might be able to reach a local foodie audience through a hashtag like #EdinburghEats.

2. Choose quality over quantity

One of the most common social media mistakes out there is favouring quantity over quality. Although it can be tempting to try and grab your followers’ attention with lots of posts and hashtags, this will most likely alienate your current customers without winning you any new ones. Whether the content you post is informative, helpful or entertaining, it should always add value for your followers.

Select opportunities that are relevant to your audience and look out for new trends as they appear, but be careful before you jump on a hashtag bandwagon

3. Be visually engaging

Social media users are inundated with information on the platforms they use, so it’s important to grab their attention by sharing unique and visually engaging content. Research shows that a tweet with a video is 10 times more likely to be retweeted than a tweet without a video.

Think carefully about how you can source high-quality, relevant and compelling imagery for your social channels. If you’re not a dab hand with a smartphone camera, it might be worth considering commissioning a photographer or videographer to help you make a start.

4. Keep an eye on what’s trending

Trending hashtags are also a huge opportunity for businesses on social media channels, especially Twitter and Instagram. For inspiration, look at competitors, businesses you admire, relevant hashtags, holidays and national days (eg Earth Day in April).

Select opportunities that are relevant to your audience and look out for new trends as they appear, but be careful before you jump on a hashtag bandwagon. One of the most common mistakes for businesses is to attempt to make a connection with something that doesn’t resonate with their audience. Trust your instincts and try to make sure that all of your posts feel consistent, authentic and true to your brand.

Although it often comes with a learning curve, social media can be a hugely rewarding and exciting way to engage with new and existing customers and to raise awareness of your small business.