If marketing strategies are like cake, social media is like the egg that binds it together.
– Susie Basiaco, The Social Nest
Social media is often a small business owner’s first port of call for marketing (and I can’t help but agree!). However, like an egg in a cake, it will only really make things rise if mixed the right way. I like to combine social media marketing with a variety of other approaches, including a good website, email marketing list, and in-person networking. The trick is to tie it all together the right way.
Small business websites
Even a simple one-page website can act as a professional brochure, give you a professional edge, and add to your credibility. It is also one of the few assets you truly own and control (assuming you stay up to date on security updates and domain name, web hosting, and developer costs). Integrate buy now, contact us, and email sign up to really make the most of it.
Do:
- Use your social media to send people to your website.
- Use your website to encourage people to sign up for your mailing list.
- Repurpose your long-form content from your website (blogs and articles) into social media content.
- Keep your social media content and website content consistently branded and up to date with the same information.
- Include your social media links in your website footer.
Don’t:
- Think of a website as automatically helping you get found on Google (consider investing in ads or search engine optimisation with a website developer and copywriter if this is a priority).
- Use your website to send people to your social media accounts. The website is the end goal. If they have reached the website, sign them up for a newsletter or make a sale.
Email marketing
I love social media, but my email marketing list is as important to me as my follower numbers because:
- I can back it up offline.
- It is not subject to rule changes, algorithm penalties, or black mark reach limits, and it is much harder to hack into than social media accounts.
- Email open rates hover around 25%, social media reach rates hover between 2-5% on most platforms.
Do:
- Encourage visitors to sign up to your mailing list with a great lead magnet. A lead magnet can be 5% off your first purchase, a free webinar, or a great pdf checklist. Think about what your clients want.
- Include your social media links in the email footer to encourage multiple touch points.
- Include a call to actions that take people to your website.
- Invite followers on social media channels to sign up for your newsletters by promoting your lead magnet.
Don’t:
- Make your primary call to action to your social media channels. Social media should funnel to your website and build your email list, not the other way around.
- Fall into the trap of thinking that if you have a website, a mailing list, and social media marketing strategy, you can skip the people side of business.
In-person networking
Yes, that’s right, the secret sauce for many small business success stories rests in human connections, personal referrals, and reputation. Nothing quite beats looking a person in the eye to know whether you can trust them. Turn up to the same group regularly for a few months, connect individually with people, and ask them questions about themselves (just wait, they will ask back). Soon they will be sending clients and customers to you – even if they aren’t in the market themselves.
Do:
- Follow up after in-person networking events by following on Instagram and Facebook or connecting on LinkedIn.
- Join related groups on Facebook, contribute value in-person and online, and share the love around by talking up other members too.
Don’t:
- Sign up anyone to your mailing list without consent (giving you a business card is not consent).
- Expect everyone to accept friend requests to personal pages. Be prepared to keep it professional and look for them on LinkedIn or follow their business page.
Workshops, trainings and freebies
Another great way to market in-person is through workshops or training offerings. When they are not your bread and butter, they are a way for people to work with you a little, see if they like your style, test out your advice for themselves. Whether it’s a free webinar, an introductory training video at an impossible-to-refuse price point, or a fabulous ‘let me teach you everything I know so you can do it yourselves’ kind of workshop, they all have a place in your marketing mix.
Do:
- Promote your event, funnelling people to your website to sign up.
- Share micro trainings via video so people get a feel for your style.
- Share testimonials
- Report back what people thought, learnt, or provided as feedback.
Don’t:
- Be afraid that no one will buy if you give it away. The opposite is true. The more content you give away, the more people trust you when you tell them your prices or offer your services.
To return to the cake metaphor with which I began – there are many different and equally delicious cakes in the world, made with a wide variety of ingredients. So it is with marketing. What works for one may not be right for another. Think of your website, newsletters, social media, networking and freebies as the equivalent of butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and vanilla, commonly present but at their best when balanced correctly.
Whether you are looking for help integrating your social media, building an entirely new strategy, or just starting out in business, book a free chat today.
