Choosing the right networks and creating a social media strategy can drive growth for your small business by fostering lasting and loyal relationships with prospects and customers. Find out how to do it successfully.

10 Ways Small Businesses Can Improve Their Social Media Presence

10-ways-small-businesses-can-improve-their-social-media-presence

[[p]]Small businesses around the world know that social media is here to stay. You only need to look at the [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-demographics" target="_blank"]]social media demographics[[/a]] across platforms to know that! But that doesn&rsquo;t mean you have&nbsp; had the chance to put in the time or effort necessary to cultivate a proper presence on the right networks.[[/p]]

[[p]]Even if you haven&#39;t optimized your social media presence, there&rsquo;s still time, and the benefits will be&nbsp;worth the effort.[[/p]]

[[p]]There are many advantages to cultivating your brand on social media. It can help&nbsp;improve your brand&rsquo;s social customer service, allow you to communicate with customers and prospects on a new level, help&nbsp; engage and reach new audiences, drive [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-enduring-marketing-power-of-customer-loyalty-schemes" target="_blank"]]customer loyalty[[/a]], build authority, and drive traffic to your website.[[/p]]

[[p]]In short, creating a [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/social-media-strategy" target="_blank"]]social media strategy[[/a]] can drive growth for your small business by fostering lasting and loyal relationships with prospects and customers. To ensure your brand&rsquo;s presence on social media is managed with quality and consistency, use a [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/toolkits/social-media-style-guide-and-template" target="_blank"]]social media [[/a]][[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/toolkits/social-media-style-guide-and-template"]]style [[/a]][[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/toolkits/social-media-style-guide-and-template"]]guide[[/a]] to keep track of the many different elements.[[/p]]

[[p]]Social media has exploded since Facebook went public back in 2012, and there are thousands of networks dedicated to anything from connecting old classmates to social activism.[[/p]]

[[p]]So with all these options, how does a business pick&nbsp; the right ones? The advice from most experts is to join the most popular, and choosing the right ones comes down to your audience and your goals. Here&#39;s some information to help get you started:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Facebook:[[/strong]]&nbsp;The largest platform, has 2.1&nbsp;billion active monthly users according to Statista, and the network is ideal for businesses that want to generate leads and build relationships. If you&rsquo;re a beginner to Facebook, check out this [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-advertising-on-facebook" target="_blank"]]guide to advertising on Facebook[[/a]]![[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]LinkedIn: [[/strong]]the platform for business networking can be used by both B2B and B2C businesses to create trust, build authority, and engage audiences.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]X:[[/strong]]&nbsp;Whose platform is immediacy, is [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-twitter-for-business" target="_blank"]]perfect for businesses[[/a]] whose major audience is under 50 and who need to stay on top&nbsp;of time-sensitive information like breaking news, announcements, and trending topics.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Pinterest:[[/strong]]&nbsp;The photo sharing site, is a fantastic platform for businesses with visual appeal (think restaurants, fashion, art, travel, and weddings) whi want to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/5-tips-for-promoting-your-content-on-pinterest" target="_blank"]]promote their content[[/a]]. It&rsquo;s more for social discovery than social networking, and is great for driving sales because so many users look to the site to plan purchases.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Snapchat: [[/strong]]Businesses can leverage Snapchat by offering promotions, providing personalized content, giving exclusive access, and building relationships with influencers&nbsp;to drive brand recognition and loyalty. Check out [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/5-snapchat-marketing-campaigns-to-learn-from" target="_blank"]]&#39;5 Creative Snapchat Campaigns to Learn From&#39;[[/a]] for some inspiration.&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Instagram:[[/strong]] Instagram&#39;s success is rooted in staying true to its original goal - allowing users to post photos and videos from their mobile. The creation of Instagram Stories (an idea stolen from Snapchat!) featuring content that expires in 24 hours has enabled it to amass&nbsp;2&nbsp;billion global users while its [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/a-guide-to-instagram-video-formats" target="_blank"]]range of video formats[[/a]] helps&nbsp;keep engaged.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]TikTok:[[/strong]] A phenomenon in the social media world, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/a-guide-to-instagram-video-formats" target="_blank"]]marketing on TikTok[[/a]] is still effective despite its impending ban in the U.S. It&#39;s the first app not owned by Facebook to have surpassed 5 billion installs due to its popularity amongst influencers and celebrities. The usability of the platform, huge music directory, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/is-tiktok-a-search-engine" target="_blank"]]use as a search engine[[/a]], and unique filters attract an engaged younger demographic.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]There are also a number of [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/10-of-the-hottest-alternative-social-media-platforms" target="_blank"]]alternative social media platforms[[/a]] rising up the ranks in terms of popularity and performance such as [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/a-guide-to-marketing-on-threads" target="_blank"]]Threads[[/a]], Bluesky, Discord and Lemon8.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Being active on social media has a number of benefits for your business, and there are many things you can accomplish with a social presence. This includes performing customer service, engaging customers, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-generate-high-quality-leads" target="_blank"]]generating high-quality leads[[/a]], expanding your audience, driving sales, increasing web traffic, gaining valuable insights and feedback, and much more.[[/p]]

[[p]]But in order to achieve these with any measure of success, you must have a goal to work towards because you&#39;ll need to take steps to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/social-media-strategy" target="_blank"]]create a social media strategy[[/a]] and get there. Your techniques for driving sales, for instance, will be different from&nbsp; your approach&nbsp;to improve your brand awareness. So it&rsquo;s important to know what you want to accomplish.[[/p]]

[[p]]Having a goal for improving your social media presence is great, but it&rsquo;s only the beginning. Once you know what you want to achieve, you have to come up with a plan to get there.[[/p]]

[[p]]Start by designating the person or people who will be part of the social media team, and break up their roles and responsibilities so everybody knows what&#39;s expected and when.[[/p]]

[[p]]You should also decide on your posting frequency, and create a content calendar that will help you plan posts and don&rsquo;t miss days. This&nbsp; approach to scheduling is a big part of your strategy and there are great [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/toolkits/social-media-calendar-template" target="_blank"]]social media calendar templates[[/a]] you can use that lay out:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Who your audience is[[/li]]
	[[li]]What topics and subjects your audience is interested in[[/li]]
	[[li]]The usable content you already have[[/li]]
	[[li]]What kind of content you still need to create or curate[[/li]]
	[[li]]When and on what platforms content will be published[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]The most effective way to develop a strategy for your business is to learn from the best. Consider a [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/students/courses/professional-diploma-in-social-media-marketing" target="_blank"]]social media and marketing course[[/a]] that focuses on social research and social strategy so you find your audience and know how to engage them.[[/p]]

[[p]]Knowing your audience is critical when it comes to finding success with social media engagement. This is because the interests and needs of your audience will determine the type of content you should&nbsp;share and the way you engage your followers.[[/p]]

[[p]]For instance, if you&rsquo;re&nbsp; a coffee roastery, your target audience might be interested in recipes for fancy coffee drinks, brewing tips and techniques, and other Java-related articles. Some of the important things you should know about your audience include age, location, gender, goals, likes, needs, behaviors, challenges, and pain points.[[/p]]

[[p]]No matter who your audience is, the content&nbsp;you share should always be high quality and relevant. It&#39;s worth developing [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-are-content-pillars-and-why-are-they-important" target="_blank"]]content pillars[[/a]] to group your content into topics or areas that your audience are most interested in. You should investigate the [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/7-popular-content-types-and-how-to-use-them" target="_blank"]]popular content types[[/a]] and prioritize video, images, and other types of visual content as often as possible because these are favored&nbsp; by all demographics and&nbsp; audiences.[[/p]]

[[p]]Staying active and present on social media takes time and dedication. But there are plenty of automation tools available to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/11-social-media-content-tools-every-content-creator-needs1" target="_blank"]]content creators[[/a]] to automatically publish and schedule social posts up to a month in advance.[[/p]]

[[p]]These tools, which include Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Buffer, MeetEdgar, and BuzzSumo, can save you time by allowing you to plan and schedule batches of posts at once. They also make it easier to monitor your networks and respond to messages quickly.[[/p]]

[[p]]Although content is supremely important on social media, it&rsquo;s not enough to just post your content and walk away. You have to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/delight-your-audience-how-to-create-content-that-excites-and-entertains" target="_blank"]]create content that excites and entertains[[/a]] to connect and drive engagement. That way you can foster the relationships you want to build and gain the trust of your audience.[[/p]]

[[p]]There are many ways you can engage with your audiences:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Comment on posts[[/li]]
	[[li]]Start and participate in conversations[[/li]]
	[[li]]Share relevant information[[/li]]
	[[li]]Share [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-user-generated-content-ugc-with-4-great-examples" target="_blank"]]user-generated content (UGC)[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]]Ask and answer questions[[/li]]
	[[li]]Post polls and follow up with the results[[/li]]
	[[li]]Address complaints and criticisms[[/li]]
	[[li]]Show appreciation for customers[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Although the practice of [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/ebooks/how-to-achieve-social-selling-success" target="_blank"]]social selling[[/a]] to increase sales is becoming increasingly popular among salespeople and marketers, the process of using social networks to drive growth is different from what most people are used to.[[/p]]

[[p]]Rather than using social as an active promotional platform, it&rsquo;s best to use it as a tool for engagement and communication.[[/p]]

[[p]]In fact, it&rsquo;s recommended that businesses follow the 80/20 rule and keep their promotional content to 20%. The lion&rsquo;s share of content should be dedicated to meeting the needs of your audience.[[/p]]

[[p]]Social media isn&#39;t a one and done deal. It takes time and patience to cultivate a reliable presence.[[/p]]

[[p]]An ideal platform for brand building and recognition, it&rsquo;s crucial that every post is in line with your brand and image. This can become difficult if you have multiple people assigned to social media, because everybody will bring their own personality to their posts.For this reason, it&rsquo;s best to limit the number of people responsible for posting, and make sure everyone knows the voice and image you want to present.[[/p]]

[[p]]When it comes to posting, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-marketing-automation-tools-effectively" target="_blank"]]automation tools used effectively[[/a]] can save you a lot of time and ensure your presence on your networks even when you&rsquo;re not! With the right tools, you can minimize the time you have to dedicate to social media, but it will still require at least 15 minutes a day to monitor your channels and respond to questions .[[/p]]

[[p]]In terms of posting frequency, the right number really depends on the platform you&#39;re using. For LinkedIn and Facebook, don&rsquo;t post more than once a day, and limit posts to five times a week. X, on the other hand, changes so quickly that the more you post, the better. With Pinterest, 11 pins a day seems to be the magic number while Instagram audiences seem to like 1-2 posts a day.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Social media use is growing all the time, and every month there are more active users than the one before, especially on the popular networks. It&rsquo;s not necessary to have a presence on every social platform out there. It&rsquo;s a much better strategy to define your goals, locate your audience, and pick the networks that are right for you based on those factors.[[/p]]

[[p]]Your brand capabilities and social media goals will determine the metrics that matter and it&rsquo;s important to measure these to ensure you&#39;re on the right track. For instance, if you want to increase site traffic, then pay attention to the amount of referral traffic coming from social.[[/p]]

[[p]]There are many resources you can rely on for metrics, including Google Analytics, Facebook Analytics and page insights, Sprout Social, LinkedIn company pages report, Keyhole, Twitter analytics and keyword reports, Buffer, and BuzzSumo.[[/p]]

[[p]]The key to mastering social media is to understand how to find and engage your audience and how each platform works. A great way to do this is to take the time to enrol in a social media and marketing course that will teach you everything you need to know to drive business success.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]With DMI&rsquo;s certified online [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/students/courses/professional-diploma-in-social-media-marketing" target="_blank"]]Social Media Marketing course[[/a]][[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/students/courses/professional-diploma-in-social-media-marketing"]] you will gain [[/a]]a deep understanding of the social platforms that matter including Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and TikTok along with social research, social strategy and content development. Get started today to set your business on the right track.[[/p]]

[[p]][[em]]Updated May 2025[[/em]][[/p]]

10 Ways Small Businesses Can Improve Their Social Media Presence

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