While many small businesses in Jacksonville have an understanding of social media and its importance to business, they don’t typically have a marketing strategy or presence.
Unfortunately, when small businesses do not pay attention to social media marketing options, they are missing out on the ability to reach out and connect with a large slice of their potential target audience. Finding ways to do so does not include spending hours a day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube, rather it means having a workable strategy.
Getting Started
The first step in social media marketing is no different from a traditional marketing campaign. It starts with developing objectives and goals for the campaign, then looking for ways to create the potential to meet those goals and objectives.
It is a good idea to start with one social media platform, particularly if this is the first venture. Two options to consider are Facebook if the business sells directly to consumers, or LinkedIn if the primary focus is B2B sales. Keep in mind; the goals may also be to connect with potential customers, network with others or to build the company’s branding and reputation.
Both these social media platforms offer built-in analytics, which means you can track all aspects of the campaign. This includes learning more about the demographics of your target audience and followers as well as seeing what types of posts, images, and content draw the biggest audience.
Set a Time and Cost Budget
It is easy to find time slipping away when first getting into social media marketing. By focusing on one social media platform and setting a schedule for interacting with clients, posting, responding and reaching out, a small business owner in Jacksonville will still find the time to do all the other tasks associated with running the business.
Setting a budget for social media campaigns will also be important. Using analytics during the initial campaign will also provide ideas and strategies for subsequent programs to maximize the marketing budget.
