Turn Your Followers Into Fans with These Social Media Strategies for Small Businesses

Are you effectively connecting with your social media audience? Just because you post regularly, doesn't mean you're actually connecting. Here are a few tips on how to connect with your social media followers in a way that is meaningful, engaging and keeps them coming back for more!

In today's digital space, it is ESSENTIAL for small businesses to foster an online presence that makes an impact. The way small businesses do that effectively within the nosey backdrop of competitors is to be authentic and transparent to their audience!

Be authentic and transparent by showing your face on social media.

Here are our top FIVE ways to small businesses should connect with their audience - using social media to their advantage:

1. Be Authentic and Transparent - People want to connect with real people, not curated graphics! People respond better when they feel like they are connecting with an actual human being.

Show off your personality through your posts as well as portray genuine transparency in all of your engagements with clients and customers.

1. Be honest and open about what you do.

2. Share your values.

3. Show you operate your business.

These three tips will go a long way in building trust and loyalty among your customer base.

2. Don't be afraid to show personality - Letting your audience see the human side of you and your business helps build relationships with customers that can last for years.

Let your audience see past the company face you present on social media or in ads, and get a glimpse into who actually is behind the scenes running things day-to-day.

Here is a quick list:

1. Behind the Scenes in your office

2. Humorous thoughts about industry experiences

3. A quote that helps you keep going

4. A new destination you are excited to try this weekend

My favorite place to do this with little planning is INSTAGRAM STORIES!

I'd love to share 45 Instagram Story Ideas that include interactive ways to engage with your audience! Grab this FREEBIE below!

3. Regularity is Key - Make sure you’re posting frequently and consistently if you want people to remember you exist!

For most small businesses 1-3 times a week is enough, while utilizing Instagram/Facebook Stories 1-3 times a week.

PRO TIP: To save time, utilize calendar scheduling tools such as MetriCool.

You can pre-plan which posts go up each day without having to constantly update throughout the week – giving yourself more time and energy for other tasks. #canigetanamen 🙌🏾

4. Mix it up - Sharing static posts on social media is no longer enough for most audiences! Visuals such as videos, carousel image sets, or GIFs are now essential if you want your content to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Studies have shown that visuals can make posts up to 40 times more likely to get shared—so incorporating them into your strategies whenever possible is key!

5. Interact with other users - Finally, don’t forget that social media isn’t just about pushing out content; interacting with other users is just as important! Here is an interaction (or engagement) checklist to use to keep you focused.

By liking comments left on posts, responding back on direct messages or simply sharing stories/content created by others – these small gestures generate good vibes within virtual communities and encourage people who interact with your business offline too! #winwin

In conclusion, connecting with an audience on social media isn’t always easy for small businesses due lack of resources— but these five simple tips should serve as a great starting point for anyone looking to create an engaged community around their brand or business!

From being authentic and transparent on social media, showcasing personality through posts all year long, scheduling regular posts throughout the week, offering various content styles for maximum reach potential or simply interacting with other users — whatever tactic chosen should help you as a small business owner craft meaningful relationships between your biz & your customers!

Ultimately though — only time will tell what works best & yields the best results — so try different approaches until something clicks & go from there! 🎉