Every time a small business thinks about engaging with social media agencies, they step back, thinking about the retainer costs. This is a fact. Wherever you go, or, whoever you approach, everyone says that social media is expensive.
Stylized photoshoots, videos, short movies, and attractive graphics have come to dominate the social media landscape. While creating an account on social platforms is free, as is to post, the cost of content creation and agency retainers have skyrocketed.
This means that even though small businesses want to start doing social media, they feel that their limitations in financial resources are a major obstacle. The fact of the matter is that it does not have to be. There is no one correct way to succeed on social media.
This is the beauty of the platforms and the audiences. Since you never know what will work and likewise, fail, the playing field is experimental in nature. In this resource, we look at five social media best practices for small businesses in 2022.
The importance of social media for small businesses in 2022
If you are a small business owner reading this article, please pay attention to what we have to say. In the post-COVID-19 era, you need to have an online presence to improve your reach, engage your target audiences, and drive sales and revenues for your small business.
According to Bassem Saber, the digital marketing expert and the head of digital marketing at Igloo, “starting a website, doing SEO, and engaging with Google My Business is all good. However, if you want ‘real exposure’ and want to take your chance of going ‘viral’, social media is what you need to target.”
There are multiple reasons for the same. Let us look at some of them:
- The past few years have seen social media emerge as second nature for billions the world over. They use it to talk, shop, discover and reach out to brands.
- The presence of multiple platforms and content forms enables you to work on areas that best appeal to the nature of your business and fit your budgets.
- Great social media can be run directly from your smartphone. You do not need expensive setups to become a social media success story.
- Social media drives real sales, revenues, and profits if done right. This is a fact. If you are serious and committed to your platforms, you will start seeing results soon.
- Small businesses need to understand that the community-centric nature of social media can help them spread the word, convey business philosophies, and find aligned interests.
Hiring a social media advertising agency does not have to be an expensive proposition. There are plenty of credible agencies that are affordable in their payment structures. The major advantage of working with them is that they will be able to help optimize the technical part of your social media presence.
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List of 5 social media best practices for small businesses in 2022
In this section, we are going to list down five best practices that small businesses need to consider as their pillars or foundations of social media presence and functioning:
1. Setting the right expectations from your social media presence
While some other small businesses might be sitting on 200K followers and a 5% engagement rate, you cannot expect the same results when you start. The first few steps are the most difficult. When you start getting traction, the results start showing organically. This is why setting the right expectations is important. Start by focusing on whether you are being able to fulfill the content creation part, regular postings, and sticking to a schedule.
2. Creating authentic, honest, and real content for your brand
If your agency keeps pushing you to post stock images or pursue photoshop, you need to ask them to stop. This does not work anymore on social platforms. What works is authenticity. Make sure that every piece of content that you are putting out from the brand is a real representation of your brand. Cover your business, customers, employees, and owners. People should sense that they are interacting and engaging with real people, values, and principles.
3. Don’t be afraid to support a social cause that is close to your heart
Five years back, every social media expert would suggest that businesses need to steer clear away from any social, political, or economic issues. In 2022, that is not the case. Your customers want you to side with their cause and have a stake in the manner. Make sure that you are a business that is not afraid to demonstrate your opinions on matters that affect the community or society. Customers want to know what is the take of a brand they are buying from.
4. Avoid focusing on too many platforms at one time to save time and money
The aim of any small business should be to focus on a couple of platforms and drive engagement there. For example, you can always go with Instagram and TikTok when you start. Once you have reached a certain level, try to integrate Snap and YouTube into the mix. If you are creating similar content or styles, you need platforms and content forms that will be able to successfully complement one another. This will reduce the effort and investments.
5. Make social media a team process and involve everyone in the mix
As a generation, we are aligned to use social media to cover every aspect of our lives. Everyone from the business owner to the employees working at the business needs to be brought on board when it comes to guaranteeing success. Make every one content creator for your brand. The more they share and tag the business, the better will be the organic reach for your business. Over a period, this will drive organic traffic, engagement, and reach for the business.
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Social media marketing mistakes small businesses should avoid in 2022
In this section, we are going to list down some of the most common social media mistakes that small businesses should look to avoid making in 2022.
Mistake #1
Small businesses should try to avoid posting personal pictures of their family, friends, or anyone else on their business profiles. The lure can be there. However, it is essential that you are able to keep the personal and the business distinct and separate. Never ever post anything which is personal using your business profile.
Mistake #2
While you may feel the need to educate your audiences in the most detailed manner possible, avoid cramming too much information in one single post. To be honest, no one using social media has the attention span to engage with your content. That is the nature of social media. Try to keep your messaging as brief as possible.
Mistake #3
Focusing only on natural social media growth. You cannot afford to ignore paid social media postings from time to time. This will not only help you maintain organic traction but also boost awareness and sales during special holiday periods or when you are launching Black Friday deals. This is important for small businesses.
Mistake #4
Not paying attention to customer reviews and ratings on your social media profile. Make sure that you request your customers to drop a review in the form of feedback on your social media profiles. This will help boost your visibility and create a strong reassuring force for new customers that are checking out your brand.
Mistake #5
Small businesses need to pay attention to the social media community guidelines. In the last few years, social platforms have become very serious in terms of offenders and have not hesitated in blocking or suspending accounts. Make sure that you are reading the guidelines and not violating any of them at any given time.
While there is no harm in following other competitors in your niche, make sure that you are not copying them. The more authentic you are in your content creation process, the better will be the response you will receive from your target audiences. Customers on social media look for trustworthy brands and businesses that are relatable. If you are able to put forth a transparent and honest picture of your business, it will resonate with your target audiences.
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The bottom line
As a small business, you never know which one of your posts will be picked up by someone on the internet and turned into a viral meme or activity. Creativity should be at the top of your social media priorities. There is no denying the fact that good social media can be a gamechanger for small businesses in 2022. By following all the points mentioned in the article, you can empower your small business to succeed. Try to stick to the basics of what works and then slowly move on to other areas. If you would like us to address any specific questions that you might have on the topic, please do not hesitate to reach out to us in the comments below.
Web developer and SEO specialist with 20+ years of experience in open-source web development, digital marketing, and search engine optimization. He is also the moderator of this blog "RS Web Solutions (RSWEBSOLS)".
