As part of your marketing strategy, social media can be an effective way to engage your existing customers and find new ones.
It can also be cost-effective – you can choose to post organically (for free) or create paid campaigns to reach new customers.
Julien Bertoli is an independent advisor with over 15 years of experience. He works with the Business Connect program at the Service NSW Business Bureau to provide independent advice on marketing, digital technology, digital growth and more. Julien offers his advice on how to create and improve the social media presence of your business.
Where do I start with social media?
Julien says, 'Social media helps express your business’s brand identity. It’s a good way for people to know who you are and what you do'. So, where do you start?
Who are your customers?
Understanding your audience is key to a strong social media strategy. It’s important to take the time to think about why your customers do business with you.
The location, age, gender and interests (demographics) of your customers can help you decide which social media platform to use. For example, if you offer professional services like accounting or consulting, LinkedIn would be a great place to share your content. If your customers are under 25, you’ll find them on TikTok.
Julien recommends choosing just one or 2 platforms to start. This way, you can avoid spreading yourself too thin by trying to maintain multiple channels.
What will you post?
To decide what you’ll post, Julien recommends thinking about what customers need to know about your product or service.
For example, if you own a restaurant or café, you might want to use videos and images to highlight the quality of your ingredients and what you serve. A platform like Instagram works best for visual content like this.
It’s also important to show – and not just tell – your customers why they should interact with your business. Customer testimonials are a good way to build trust with your audience – think of it as virtual word-of-mouth.
Julien recommends dedicating one or 2 hours each month to plan out and draft your content to save you time in the long run.
Do I need to invest in paid social media marketing?
Organic, or unpaid, content nurtures your existing customer base. It helps you build trust to encourage customers to buy from you again.
On the other hand, paid advertising helps you reach new customers. Advertising on social media lets you drill down to find your exact target customers.
Example
You own a plumbing business in Western Sydney.
Using your understanding of your existing customer base – middle-income earners with young families – you can find an audience like the one you already service, but in a different location.
You could set your target audience to be:
Age: 30 – 45
Location: South-West Sydney
Interests: Parenting, local schools, and sporting leagues.
A paid social media campaign targeted this way could help you get more customers.
How do I know when to start using paid ads?
According to Julien, 'It’s always a good time to start using paid social campaigns to find new customers', but he notes that there is a learning curve.
'Try to master one platform first. You can outsource to an agency or learn how to do it yourself, but it’s always important to understand the fundamentals so you know when your ads are performing well'.
A big benefit of advertising on social media is that the cost is scalable. Depending on your audience size, you could start with a budget of $10 per day and grow from there. As you learn more about your customers and gain familiarity with the platform, you’ll find new ways to improve your advertisements and can allocate more budget.
Want to learn more about social media marketing for your business? Find and book an independent advisor to discuss your unique business needs. You can also attend a webinar, online workshop or event to grow your business skills and access online resources for practical tips and industry guidance.