One of the most overlooked elements of owning a small business, finding ways to effectively market one’s business on social media can drastically drive sales. Many small business owners are not especially knowledgeable in attracting attention on social media sites, however. Experts assert that by properly marketing one’s business on social media, it is possible to increase the awareness of the brand, attract more inbound traffic, improve search engine rankings, get higher conversion rates, and even give customers a greater sense of satisfaction, among other things. In particular, studies have shown that social media can have a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound calls. If you're ready to start marketing your business on social media, a few tips that consultants typically keep secret are that commenting and "liking" photos can help you market without much effort, engaging in social media for just six hours per week can drastically boost sales, contests and promotions on social media can help boost sales and draw in potential customers and hiring a social media expert can help take your business to the next level. Before hiring someone to manage your social media marketing, however, be sure to ask the following questions!
Before hiring a consultant, one must be fully aware of what their goals for their business are. For instance, if the goal is to simply boost one’s following, this might mean hiring a different consultant or firm than if the focus is to increase engagement or boost sales. Be sure to know what the goals are before interviewing consultants.
Consultants can help with marketing in a variety of ways. No matter if they are simply providing an idea for a campaign or if they will be totally seizing control of all social media pages, it is up to the business to decide what level of help their business requires.
In the age of social media, not everyone is who they appear to be. Before hiring a consultant, be sure that they have the necessary experience it will take to take a brand to the next level.
Given the vast amount of options for social media platforms, deciding which platforms to focus on, at least initially, is vital. When speaking with a consultant, finding out which platforms they specialize in as well as what recommendations they have for the business in question.
Although everyone is different, the best answer to this question is always as soon as possible. If a consultant is saying it may take months before results are evident, this is likely a red flag.
Social media can be a fickle place. Therefore, new followers don’t necessarily translate into sales just as increased sales doesn’t necessarily guarantee loyal customers. Find out what follow-up services are offered in case the intended results are not achieved.
Although nothing is fool-proof, finding out a consultant’s philosophy on failure can speak volumes. In general, the best response is one that either guarantees success or offers to refund your money in the event that the services are deemed ineffective.
Despite the fact that studies have shown the effectiveness of social media marketing, not all markets do well on social media. In the case of more complex business ideas and products, social media marketing may need to take a backseat to other types of advertising. Social media marketing is better suited for brands which have a message that people want to get behind.