Social media is a great tool to use when it comes to marketing your business. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, and LinkedIn are where the magic happens. You can reach a ton of people, engage with customers, and get your brand out there – BUT it can be a ton of extra work to create content for these channels. One great thing about social media is that it lets you have direct conversations with your customers, answer their questions, and build relationships. You absolutely don’t have to be on every platform, and I recommend choosing just one platform where your target clients are hanging out and focus your efforts there first. Then, you can move on to repurposing that content on other platforms later on.
One thing to keep in mind is that social media platforms and trends are always changing – the strategies I used when starting my business are not necessarily the same things that you need to use today to grow. As they are always changing (for better or for worse!), I am only going to do a brief overview of each platform and how I use it for my business – and then link you to some amazing resources for businesses who are specializing in that platform. They will have the most up to date information about platform changes, strategies to try, etc.
Facebook pages are not quite what they once were, but they are still a good option to consider. By having a Facebook page for your business, you can also interact in (some) Facebook groups or even create your own group for your target audience or people who have purchased your product. When joining an existing Facebook group with your business page, keep in mind that not all groups allow pages to join. Be sure to check the group rules of any group before you join as your page.
For the actual page itself, I mostly push my Instagram posts directly to Facebook so one piece of content is used to hit clients who prefer one platform or the other. They’re very easy pages to set up (you can follow the instructions from Facebook here) and all you need for graphics to get it set up are a profile photo (you can use a headshot of yourself, your logo, or another brand element) and a cover photo.
Instagram is my preferred platform, mostly because it’s my favorite to browse as a user and the most familiar to me. It can definitely be a long term process to grow your account and create a community around your brand but so worth it when you do! I spend most of my energy on Instagram content, and all of that is designed to send people right back to my website.
Like most social media, there has been A LOT of change on Instagram in the past few years with a switch from primarily images to video. However, it seems to be trending back towards images after some feedback from millions of users and right now the best practice seems to be a healthy mix of using video and static content. With the recent addition of Threads as well, you can connect on a deeper level with your customers and showcase more of your personality within your content.
Who I follow for Instagram Strategy:
Pinterest is my second favorite platform! It’s such a visual platform with so much design inspiration that it’s a great place for me to share my own design content. One great thing about Pinterest is that it acts more like a search engine than a social media platform, which means your pins get traction for much longer than a post on Instagram or TikTok. The pin you upload today could be getting views for years to come if you optimize it properly.
For each blog post or lead magnet I put out, I create 5-10 unique pins and push them out over a few weeks time. Pinterest is always the #1 referral source in my Google Analytics to my business website!
Who I follow for Pinterest Strategy:
YouTube
YouTube can be a game-changer for online service providers and digital product shops in many niches. With its massive reach and visual appeal, YouTube offers a powerful platform to showcase your expertise, demonstrate your services or products, and connect with your target audience. By creating engaging and informative videos, you can establish yourself as a trusted authority in your field, providing valuable content that educates and entertains viewers. YouTube allows you to demonstrate your offerings in action, share tutorials, answer frequently asked questions, and share customer success stories. With the potential to reach millions of viewers, you can build a loyal following and direct traffic to your website or sales pages.
Much like Pinterest, it also acts as more of a search engine than a social media platform and YouTube’s search functionality and video recommendations also provide organic exposure, giving you the opportunity to attract new customers and grow your business. I personally don’t use YouTube at the moment simply because I hate being on and creating videos, but it’s a great platform if video if your content of choice!
Who I follow for Video Marketing Stragey:
