60% of business owners don’t use social platform
Brand Highlighters is a leading digital services partner for hundreds of UK businesses and the industry experts help SMEs in the UK understand how to use their social media accounts to grow their brand and effectively market their services to increase revenue. According to recent research* 6 out of 10 small business owners admit they don’t use social platforms to boost their customer base due to a lack of knowledge and concern they might actually damage their brand.
The survey went on to show that more than a quarter of businesses don’t post on Facebook and 4 in 10 don’t make the most of Instagram to market their products and services and only 20% post on LinkedIn – the UK’s largest professional networking website. It also highlighted that 40% are completely unaware of how to effectively advertise their business to help gain new customers.
The digital marketing experts at Brand Highlighters, offer a unique blend of creative and technical experts which means they can deliver the very best advice and solutions to SMEs in the UK to help maximise their online presence and the impact of their social media and digital marketing.
The team have put together these simple tips to help small businesses manage their social media accounts:
1) Add some personality
Social media is a place for people to engage and connect and it is important for businesses to offer something unique and personal. This can make all the difference and help you stand out from competitors.
2) Don’t be boring or post old content
Many of us spend hours each day on multiple social media platforms. If your content is new and original, you likely gain much more traction and interest. Social media algorithms also reward engaging content. The more people interact with your post, the more the platform will promote that post.
3) Ensure you post consistently
Sporadically posting is understandably something many small businesses do it can be detrimental to your profile. Most social media algorithms reward accounts that post consistently. This can mean posting sometimes every day or multiple times — for a long time.
4) Engage with your audience/customers
Small business owners often struggle to engage with questions or reply to comments from followers, but these are often buying signals and potential new customers. These comments can come from organic or paid posts and should be prioritised.
5) Work out your audience(s)
Catering posts to a specific audience is often overlooked by small-business owners especially those who can’t afford a social media manager or agency. Focus on who you want to attract with your posts and test new audiences with paid ads to see what traction you gain and open up new audiences.
Utilising your online and social media community can be a fantastic and cost-effective marketing tool for small businesses and can help secure new customers and build brand awareness both locally and nationally.
Jon Hobbs, Director at Brand Highlighterscommented, “Put simply If you aren’t using social media correctly you could lose new customers and even damage your brand. Although time-consuming, managed properly your social media accounts can drive new business, grow your brand and increase customer loyalty.
Our team at Brand Highlighters understand small businesses and can work with you to help you grow your social media audience and your online presence as a whole.”
We also offer a unique blend of creative and technical experts that allows us to deliver the best results and we have put together these simple online techniques that help small businesses improve their online presence quickly and efficiently.
1) Register with Google Search Console – This is a free, online service provided by Google that allows you to check your website’s indexing status and optimise your site’s visibility.
2) Set up Google Analytics and a Google Business Profile- Google Analytics will give you an overview of how your website is being utilised and where people are visiting from. A Google Business profile helps ensure your business appears in relevant local searches giving you the opportunity to gain new customers.
3) Identify your keywords – The first thing to consider is keeping these niche and local. Don’t try to take on national giants as it will eat up the budget and deliver fee results. Take ownership of specific local phrases that will deliver enquiries and revenue.
4) Create more content – Your website will benefit immensely if you post new content regularly. This content can be blog posts, photos, videos, etc. Also, review old content and update this as Google recognises websites that update their content.
5) Review your site structure and internal links- Internal linking refers to your on-site links that connect one page to another. If you have an integrated linking structure within your website, it means that your pages exist within a web of links that allow the user to easily navigate around your site.
Utilising your local community online can be a fantastic and cost-effective marketing tool for small businesses and can help secure new customers and build brand awareness both locally and nationally.
Jon Hobbs, Director at Brand Highlighters commented, “Put simply If you don’t have an online presence for your business, you’ll miss out on valuable online traffic. Local business owners shouldn’t ignore 80% of their potential customers by not having an online proposition.
Our team at Brand Highlighters understand small businesses and can work to ensure they maximise impact online both locally and nationally.”
* Research commissioned by Adzooma 2021 – 500 UK business owners
