Scroll through your social media feed and you’ll see dozens of businesses posting every day. Doom-scroll and you’ll turn into a zombie who can only move their thumb up and down and who isn’t really absorbing much or any of the information they are looking at.
Because of this many small business owners in Central PA feel like they’re shouting into the void and wasting their time. The good news, though, is that you don’t need thousands of followers or viral videos to stand out. You simply need to be more relatable, more helpful and more consistent than your competitors.
Stop Posting Only Sales Content
Nobody logs into Facebook to see advertisements on purpose. They are looking for entertainment or information and of course, value.
Follow the 80/20 Rule:
80% helpful, engaging or entertaining content and 20% promotional content. You know what promotional content is… posts that their sole purpose is to sell something. “We have this product, click to buy it.”
Helpful, engaging and entertaining content is everything else. The stuff people care about. Will you have special holiday hours? Bloopers from the year. The thought process behind the creativity. The how to use this product in unique ways. The problems you solved with your services. All of this makes your company relatable and genuine.
Show the People Behind Your Business
People buy from people, especially people they feel that they can trust. You can easily share employee spotlights, team celebrations, work anniversaries, promotions and new roles, day-in-the-life content and more.
Human content outperforms corporate content always. It builds relationships that lead to sales. And this goes for using AI created content as well. It’s great for ideas but you want real people and real locations if you want to draw customers in with your relatability.
Use More Photos and Videos
Your smartphone and tablet are your best resources when it comes to standing out from your competitors. You always have them with you so you can capture the day-to-day activities.
Sure, a Reel with 3 camera angles and hours of edits is great. But that takes forever to produce. Keep the snapshots coming and save the time and effort for the really big things.
Turn FAQs Into Content
You know what your customers want to know because they ask you the same questions every day. That is the start of your content strategy. Answer their questions on your website and on your social media. Use an infographic, make a video or just post the answer.
This kind of content not only works as quick filler content to round out your strategy, it also positions you as the expert in your field. Why would someone purchase a small versus a large quantity, where are your products made, how long does it take to ship, what is the timeline, how do customers park, do they need to purchase tickets in advance, do you have a particular service policy, are you closed on Christmas day, etc.?
These types of posts can also be repeated throughout the year, especially if you just change the format. Video one quarter, image the next.
Share Customer Success Stories
Reviews and testimonials are so important. If a customer leaves a review, post about it and thank them. Create a spotlight around a particularly interesting situation. At the very least, show before, during and after photos of your process or product.
When you showcase real results whenever possible, if gives your company third-party validation. Plus, you’ll find that these posts tend to get more engagement than many others. People like to say “hey, that was me” or “I was happy with my product, too”.
Show What Makes You Different
You’re probably not in business because you do everything exactly the same way as the other company across town. Highlight your unique selling points by sharing that you’re a family-owned business, you have many years of experience, you specialize in a particular area of your industry, you give back to the community, you have longer or better hours, you source your product from a more desirable location, etc.
Social Media Tips and Tricks
There are so many ways you can separate yourself from the pack so that people look to your business first. Try these:
- Don’t assume your customers already know. You work in your business every day so it seems like some things should just be common sense. Most likely your customers don’t already know: how to use, when to buy, how long it lasts, when you should start, etc. Tell them!
- Engage with your audience. Don’t just post and run away. Say thank you, answer their questions, respond to their requests and if they post something negative, answer that, too. Every comment is valuable in its own way. Be sure to keep the conversation going and move negativity to private messaging when possible.
- Act local if your business is local. Share about events you’re participating in or local partnerships. Discuss seasonal happenings and tag your business friends who also have local companies. People enjoy supporting business who are invested in their community and who are producing a product or service right in their own town, city or state.
- Use viral trends sparingly. Trends are fun, but remember, everyone else is doing it, too. AI produced images, popular stock content or memes, robot created captions can be easy, but also mundane. Use trends sparingly and only if they really fit your staff or business.
Standing out on social media doesn’t require a huge budget or hours of social media dedication. Just show up consistently, get organized with a content calendar, share interesting and valuable content and start to measure results.
The companies that win on social media aren’t always the biggest, they’re the ones that stay visible and build relationships over time.
Marketing Help from Local Professionals
Not sure what to post or struggling to stay consistent? Green T Design helps small businesses throughout Central Pennsylvania create content calendars, manage social media, produce engaging content and build marketing strategies that keep them in front of their customers year-round. We work your social media strategy into an overall, robust, full-service plan that can include web design and landing pages, SEO strategy, email marketing, branding and more! Reach out to get started today.
