Ah, social media…

It all began in 2004 with the creation of Myspace. Shortly thereafter was the dawn of YouTube, followed by the rise of Reddit, Facebook, Twitter… and the rest is history. From Snapchat to Instagram, Tumblr to TikTok, there’s no shortage of social media platforms ripe for the taking as businesses of all sizes benefit from working social media into their business strategy.

Social media marketing allows brands to reach more customers, create communities, drive more web traffic and boost sales— but perhaps what we love most about social media is that it affords small business owners the ability to build their brand without having to spend a fortune. The thing is – like a well-tailored suit – you must tailor your social media strategy to fit the size of your business.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss how big brands approach social media marketing and why following suit won’t work for small businesses. We’ll also touch on key areas for small business owners to focus on instead. Let’s take a look…

How Big Brands Use Social Media & Why This May Not Work for Small Businesses

Smaller brands must work smarter and harder in every area of social media to stand out against behemoth brands that were household names long before MySpace ever existed. Modeling your social strategy off big brands like McDonalds or Bloomingdales likely won’t work for small business owners or local shops because well-known brands like Walmart, FedEx, and McDonalds have spent decades building immense brand equity. They are already well-established, which gives them a leg up when it comes to their social media marketing strategy. Because they know that you know who they are, they can spend less time on lead generation and more time on sales. This also allows them to dedicate their big budgeting dollars to things like behavioral targeting and credibility development. In addition, bigger brands have deeper pockets, which means more room for trial and error when it comes to figuring out the social media strategies that work for them.

Unlike big, well-known brands, smaller companies must focus on creating a thriving social media presence. This means building their following by inviting users to like or follow their business profiles and pages, and then building relationships with that following. It also means creating a presence across various social media platforms, as well as posting regularly with consistent messaging. For some, it may even mean engaging with other small, noncompeting brands to help promote your business across different markets.

Another thing small businesses don’t have? Bottomless pockets for spending. Each and every marketing dollar spent must yield quick and quantifiable results. Therefore, small business owners must smarter and harder in their approach to social media marketing. They can’t operate under the assumption that the rest of social media knows their brand or what it has to offer. Each piece of content shared on social media must perform double duty. It must create name recognition and inspire the consumer to take action (i.e. purchase your goods or services). It must build brand awareness and generate leads. It must reach new customers and prompt sales.

Is Your Social Media Working for You?

Are you a small business owner looking to capitalize on all social media marketing has to offer, but don’t want to go it alone? Try our proven process. Technology Therapy’s social media services take the guesswork out of social media, so you can spend your budgeting dollars wisely and strategically. Schedule a free consultation today!

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