In today’s digital age, thanks to the convenience of technological access, the majority of individuals maintain accounts on social media platforms to stay connected with their communities. Social media has emerged as a digital phenomenon seamlessly woven into our everyday routines. It serves as a means to connect with friends and family, enabling us to express our thoughts openly. Often unconsciously, we turn to our preferred social media platforms to alleviate boredom, seeking entertainment and engagement.
No matter how much we deny it, social media influences our daily life. The vast network of relationships created through these platforms alone is proof enough of its powerful impact.
So, now you’re asking, “what can social media do for new and small business owners?” We’ve got the answers for you!
Social Media and the Business Industry
Similarly, the business industry has taken on a much larger role in generating revenue by utilizing social media. Large and small businesses alike have invested time and effort in establishing a great digital presence. Whether to promote their products or advertise their services, they use social media to get customers and build lasting relationships.
But it’s not always a walk in the park when exploring the digital world.
Building and maintaining a social media presence may be harder than it looks. More than its effective marketing strategy, a solid social media presence can build a company from the ground up. And this is true for the other end of the scale as well. One wrong digital move and you just might have to say goodbye to profit this year.
That is why it’s important to take careful steps in developing and increasing your brand’s online presence. Slow, minimal actions – when done right – can make all the difference. You should just remain consistent.
Take it from us!
Are You Ready for the Holidays?
Now, more than ever, solidifying your business’ social media presence is crucial. The holidays are coming, and the stakes are higher in the competitive market. Business giants can take up your spot in no time. Their marketing expertise can easily overshadow your affordable deals and massive discounts, no matter how impressive they can be.
After all, it’s not only about what you can offer. The holiday season has opened up a lot of brand-new promotions from all sorts of businesses. What makes you any different from them?
The key, then, is how you market your offers. You must stand out from all the rest, so your customers choose you. There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for this, however, but what we are sure of is you should excel in your uniqueness.
And you can take advantage of your customers’ planned holiday shopping to do so. Just follow our lead, and work on your social media platforms!
What Social Media Platforms Should I Use?
We get it. It can be intimidating to scroll through the play store and find an app that works best with your marketing strategy. There are a lot of apps! And if you’re not well-versed in these platforms, you can get lost in all those features and updates.
Every social media platform serves an individual purpose. While some cater to a certain age range, others suit the general public. Some may have built-in business analytic tools; others make use of other features for business marketers. Knowing the differences of each platform’s purpose can save you and your business.
So, without further ado, here are some of the social media platforms that can help increase your sales for the holidays:
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Facebook: The Content Platform
Facebook has been around since 2004, and understandably, it has garnered a massive audience worldwide. This third quarter of the year alone, Facebook reports having roughly 2.91 billion active users on the site. This makes it the leading social media platform in terms of global reach and site visits.
More than that, it has been the most sought-after digital app for business promotions. If you are just starting your business, this platform can be your best option. Its low-cost advertising features, paired with user-friendly tools and customizable pages, make marketing easier for those new in the industry.
Now, let’s take a look at some of Facebook’s usable features for your marketing strategy this holiday season.
Usable Features
- Convenience in Free Stock Images in Facebook Ads: The Facebook Ad feature comes in images, videos, and collections. If you are opting for an image ad, Facebook has a collection of free stock images from Shutterstock to help you find the right photo. After all, the right photo can represent your brand and keep customers coming.
- Facebook Response Assistant for 24/7 Customer Satisfaction: If you don’t have a 24-hour marketing team, it would be best to invest in Facebook’s Response Assistant. Customers are likely to leave a positive response when they feel respected and prioritized. Responsiveness is an asset that your business must practice to get loyal customers and invite new ones.
- Know Your Audience in the People and Other Pages option: In this section of your page, you can see a list of users and pages that have liked your page. You can then see a pattern to the kind of audience your business draws. This can help you develop content that caters to your target audience and guarantees a high engagement rate from them.
- Announce Your Holiday Sales with Pinned Posts: You would want your audience to find your holiday campaigns faster. Pinned posts are ideal for this. Also, make sure your pinned posts are eye-catching to leave a lasting mark on your readers. So, the next time they plan their holiday shopping, your company is on top of their priority list.
Its Greatest Advantage Compared to Other Platforms
Customizable content sharing. Unlike other social media apps, Facebook encompasses a variety of content for creating, sharing, and engaging. This makes it easier for people to connect with your brand and vice versa. The wide range of content options can also attract audiences outside your target scope, expanding your reach.
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Instagram: The Filtered Gallery
Who doesn’t know Instagram? Since its development, Instagram has attracted photo-loving individuals globally and currently holds a record of 500 million daily active users. It is considered the ultimate platform for photo- and video-sharing, making it perfect for holiday business promotions and advertising too.
Businesses can thrive using Instagram’s creative tools. Though the platform seems hard-to-navigate and solely built for established companies, small business entities can still start growing their audience here. With the right strategies, increasing brand awareness can be as easy as making an account.
Usable Features
- Easy Shopping Through Instagram Shop and Checkout: Instagram’s newest Shop and Checkout feature can make shopping stress-free for customers. If you are a product-based company, this can work to your advantage. You can create Product Tags for your daily posts, and customers can view your product details with one click. The Checkout feature also ensures a handy payment process.
- Short, Informative Content in IGTV: Aside from its mobile-friendly points, you can benefit from IGTV’s product showcases. Because Instagram uses a simple interface that suggests brands to users through the “For You” tab, easy promotions become possible. It’s also a way for new businesses to share never-before-seen details about their products and create event-based short clips.
- High Engagement Rate in Polls, Questions, and Quizzes: Customers love to be involved in the marketing process. Through poll, question, and quiz stickers, you get to engage your customers while gathering new ideas for future campaigns. It would be like hitting two birds with one stone – or in this case, one sticker!
- Geotagging Works Best for Local Customers: If you manage a physical store, geotagging is highly effective in inviting customers within your vicinity. When customers visit your store, they can geotag you and market your company to their followers. And it’s even better if one of your customers is a local influencer! This is what you want for your business, so keep your location turned on.
Its Greatest Advantage Compared to Other Platforms
Creative freedom and management. Instagram pushes the limits of visual creativity while staying true to its mission: connecting people from different locations. Your business team can utilize this to strengthen your online presence. After all, customers are more likely to purchase your products after seeing a creative ad that holds their interest.
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Twitter: The Trending App
If you have an android phone, chances are you already know what Twitter is. Whenever something is trending in the media world, Twitter knows of it first before other platforms. And it’s constantly evolving its features too, which keeps users – and business marketers – on their toes.
This year, Twitter’s user rate has grown since the pandemic; statistics report a 27% year-over-year increase, which is considerably impressive. And until recently, Twitter continues to dominate the world, both in the entertainment and business industry.
Have you downloaded Twitter on your phone yet?Usable Features
- The Character Limit Is Your Friend: Though some argue that Twitter’s character-limiting features reduce its advertising effectiveness, this can work as an advantage as well. You can then be concise and straightforward in your business tweets, which is just as effective as longer advertisements. If you want, you can add an image to make it unique and attractive.
- Gather Important Tweets in Moments: The Moments feature in Twitter is essential for highlighting longer content and displaying different perspectives. Have tons of positive reviews from clients? Want everyone to gain easy access to news from your company in one place? Wish to share your holiday deals, but they are in separate, different tweets? Gather them all in moments.
- Be on Time, Schedule Your Tweets: Managing various social media platforms can be tricky. Twitter’s Scheduled Tweets can save you time and effort in this regard. You don’t want to be late in greeting everyone a Happy New Year! Most importantly, you don’t want to forget tweeting a holiday announcement because of poor connection or confusing time zones. Save time by scheduling tweets!
- Business Awareness Through Advanced Search: To maximize your growth in Twitter, use Advanced Search to its full potential. Advanced Search can narrow down your searches by using keywords, Twitter handles, dates, etc. You can read what users think of your business or learn more about your competitors. Whichever strategy works for you and your business, include Advanced Search in promoting.
Its Greatest Advantage Compared to Other Platforms
Effective in starting conversations. Twitter is known for being bold and conversational, and this can be true for its users also. Interacting with everyone on the platform isn’t unconventional and is even encouraged for new businesses. With Twitter, you only need to connect to people to be heard.
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Pinterest: The Aesthetic Mediaboard
Pinterest is one of those social media trends that never really age. While it doesn’t have a larger user fanbase like Instagram or Facebook, Pinterest still has its edge. It remains widely known for its DIY hacks, easy theme and topic navigation, and friendly social marketing features for business owners. To back up this statement, statistics show that in 2020, the platform accumulated a 50% increase in shoppers.
This platform gives consumers a peek into product features, as well as the latest visual trends in technology, fashion, etc. Business marketers use Pinterest to organically increase brand exposure, conduct marketing research, and stay updated on the latest online trends. It is no wonder that it’s one of our picks for this list!
Usable Features
- Use Pincodes to Expand Your Reach: Just like QR codes, Pinterest’s Pincode feature helps consumers get access to unlimited information they need immediately. You can link your products to your profile through Pincodes, allowing your audience to check out your other products. And the best thing about it? It’s sustainable to the environment, so you don’t just gain revenue, you also save the planet.
- Collaborate with Other Users in Group Boards: There’s nothing more frustrating to see than an obvious marketing strategy. Group boards are a subtle way to connect with your target audience and stand out for your content and pins. When you play your cards right, you can also garner followers who can be your new potential customers. Find a board that fits your niche and remain consistent in your content sharing.
- Spice It Up with Guides and Hacks: Pinterest is known for its wide range of content, but most importantly, its do-it-yourself lists. There’s a reason DIYs are such a huge hit for consumers, and Pinterest is a great place to share your own DIY twist. For the holidays, you can also create shopping guides for your customers. It’s the ideal way to get in the holiday spirit while advertising your products.
- Rich Pins Make Everything More Fun: Rich pins are easy-to-use tools that add context to your posts without bogging down the site with too many details. They come in different kinds, including article, product, and app pins; all of which are designed to improve SEO and brand awareness. With a click of a finger, customers can easily get the information they need from any of your posts.
Its Greatest Advantage Compared to Other Platforms
New daily visual discoveries. Pinterest specializes in visual marketing, and more than that, it gives users unlimited access to new graphic content daily. Therefore, it’s perfect for business owners who want to expand their reach. Through effective management, you can be the next big visual discovery on the app!
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Tiktok: The Viral Network
Nowadays, if you ask tech-savvy individuals what their go-to app is, the answer is most likely Tiktok. This platform has gained popularity over the years, exceeding everyone’s expectations with its steady rise in downloads and user activity. Statistics show that in January 2021, the TikTok app garnered over 62 million downloads, making it on par with established platforms in the industry.With its impressive milestones, it’s fair to say that TikTok is one of the best networks to build a digital community in. Businesses can invest in TikTok for Business to increase their followers and interact with their audience. But in the chance that you might want to check out other features, we have compiled a list for you.
Usable Features
- Hashtags Improve Discoverability: Build your marketing campaigns on hashtags. They are the fastest way for your audience to find you, and this works the other way around too. Hashtags can filter content that users prefer to watch, helping you discover your target audience’s interests and work your way with that. You can also create a unique hashtag that your customers can use to spread the word about your company.
- Start a Challenge for Your Campaign: TikTok challenges drive people’s curiosity. This is why most influencers and brands start creating challenges for their followers and clients. It, then, becomes a domino effect where users engage with the challenge, start a trend, and keep the general public entertained. And with the holidays coming up, you can use the occasion to start a challenge that can last until next season!
- Go Live and Answer Questions: TikTok Lives are a game-changer. For an in-depth engagement experience with your audience, start a live stream to get your company out there. Choose a relevant theme/topic that reels users into your live stream – and keeps them watching until the end. You can also enable the Q and A feature, which allows you to answer questions from users in real-time.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Share Your Music Taste: When creating TikTok videos, the music you add is just as important as the content you are sharing. The music you use can leave a good or bad impression on your audience. If you prefer a sophisticated way of advertising, choose non-lyrical music to accompany your videos. If you’d rather be bold and creative, don’t be afraid to use modern music as the background.
Its Greatest Advantage Compared to Other Platforms
Ever-changing trends through microblogs. TikTok’s microblogging brand is ideally a creative and practical approach to keep users immersed. Their constantly changing trends also play a role in their engagement rate. You can utilize these tools to create fresh but short marketing campaigns that put you ahead of your competitors.
These are only some of the best-ranking social media platforms in 2021. There are more options for every new business marketer, of course, and we have only narrowed down your choices. If you’d like an instant boost in your holiday sales, these social sites are your best bet.
Additional Points
Our social media platforms have become a widespread network to gain customers, establish an online presence, and skyrocket sales. They aren’t only a part of every business marketer’s strategy; owners should also integrate social media marketing into their business as part of its operations.
This way, companies remain consistent in their engagements, research, and brand awareness.
Additionally, with the rise of online shopping, business entities should remain up-to-date on the latest trends in the digital world. Keeping tabs on what’s new and popular can spark ideas for the next marketing tactic in the upcoming months.
Social media is no longer just an aspect of everyone’s lives; it has become a lifestyle. And the sooner business owners realize this and use it to their advantage, the sooner the industry can move forward in success and growth.
Final Words
The holidays are finally coming, and hopefully, we’ve got you prepped for your holiday promotions. Have you written down your top social media site picks yet? Do you already have ideas on getting high engagements and expanding your reach with holiday discounts?
Remember, you shouldn’t only focus on what you offer. Bear in mind that the “how” aspect of your offers is also a priority. And your sales boost heavily relies on this, too, so you might want to remember this throughout your marketing planning.
So, whichever social media app you may use, be sure to ask the right questions for a successful promotion season.
Are you finally ready to stand out in the holiday rush this year? Because we know we are! Proweaver is your ideal partner in social media marketing and custom web design. If you need more help with your digital advertising, dial +1 (877) 216-0852, +1 (877) 300-6564, or +1 (866) 777-8315. We are looking forward to serving you and your company.
We wish everyone a happy holiday and a great marketing journey up ahead.