Your Guide to Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses

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Marketing your business is very important. But then, picture this.

It costs millions of naira to put up a billboard anywhere in Nigeria, and the chances of your potential customers seeing the ad depends on a lot of factors. It costs even more to put up a TV ad. As a small business, imagine how crippling to your finances doing any of these would be.

But now here’s the beautiful part.

Social media is the perfect way to compete. According to Statista, the world’s largest social media platform — Facebook — has nearly 41.6 million users in Nigeria. Imagine publishing a post on this platform.

Let’s do the math. If you paid 4 million naira to put up a billboard in a spot in Lagos, and 150,000 people walk past your ad, that’s about 27 naira per impression. But you can get even more impressions on social media, with a way smaller budget, thanks to using the right social media marketing strategies and campaign ideas. And while a person might not pass by your billboard again, you can always make sure they see your social media ad by targeting and retargeting them!

The juice is in using social media the right way. By doing this, your small business can compete with even bigger brands, without having to break the bank!

We’re breaking down this article into:

1. What social media marketing means.

2. What foundations or pillars of social media marketing are.

3. How to set up a solid social media marketing strategy.

4. The social media metrics that matter for your strategies.

Meanwhile, content is the most important part of having a social media marketing strategy. Knowing that, we’ve created a 15 Days Instagram Content Calendar here to help you plan and organise your content! Get your copy here!

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing refers to the strategic use of social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands and engage with a target audience. It involves creating and sharing content, such as posts, videos, images, and infographics, to build brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, convert customers, and foster customer engagement.

In social media marketing, businesses utilise various tactics to leverage the power of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and more. It goes beyond mere presence on these platforms and focuses on developing a consistent brand identity, building a community of loyal followers, and implementing strategies to achieve specific marketing goals.

Related: Check Out 8 Social Media Marketing Strategies, Calendar & More!

Foundations of Social Media Marketing

Let’s look at the foundations, also known as pillars, of social media marketing. These pillars work together harmoniously to create a successful social media marketing strategy!

1. Strategy: First and foremost, you need a well-defined strategy. Set your goals and objectives, identify your target audience, and plan how you'll engage with them on social media platforms.

2. Content & Publishing: Creating engaging and valuable content is crucial. It includes posts, videos, images, and stories that capture the attention of your audience and encourage interaction. Publishing is also important. Time of day, content type and presentation all matter. You can also use scheduling tools like Hootsuite and Coschedule to make it easier.

3. Community Management & Engagement: Building a community involves fostering connections and relationships with your audience. Social media lets you engage with your followers and customers, reply to comments, and create opportunities for them to interact with each other.

4. Advertising: Social media allows businesses to use advertising to boost their efforts. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer various advertising options to increase your reach and impact.

5. Analytics: Keeping an eye on the data is important in social media marketing, and monitoring the effectiveness of campaigns. Use analytics tools to measure your performance, track engagement, and understand what resonates with your audience.

How to Develop a Solid and Successful Social Media Strategy

1. Set your budget and goals.

2. Know your audience.

3. Choose the right platforms.

4. Craft your messaging and content.

5. Plan your content calendar.

6. Engage with your audience.

7. Measure and adapt.

1. Set your budget and goals

In developing a social media strategy, setting your budget and goals go hand in hand. Begin by clearly defining your objectives and identifying what you want to achieve through social media marketing. Do you aim to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, or generate leads to convert to customers? Once your goals are established, allocate a portion of your budget accordingly, considering both paid advertising and other resources required for content creation and community management. By aligning your budget with your goals, you can effectively allocate resources and optimise your social media strategy to achieve desired outcomes.

Remember, regular evaluation and adjustments are key to maintaining alignment between your budget and goals as your strategy evolves.

2. Know your audience

Take the time to research and analyse your target audience, gaining insights into their demographics, behaviours, and preferences. By knowing your audience, you can tailor your content, messaging, and engagement strategies to effectively resonate with and cater to their needs. This understanding allows you to create valuable and relevant content that captures their attention, drives engagement, and fosters a loyal community. Keep in mind that audience preferences may change over time, so continuously monitoring and adapting your approach will help ensure your social media strategy remains relevant and impactful.

3. Choose the right platforms

Conduct research to identify the platforms where your target audience actively spends their time. Factors such as demographics, user behavior, and platform features will help you make informed decisions. For example, if you're targeting a younger audience, platforms like TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram may be effective choices. Align your content and messaging with the unique characteristics of each platform to maximise your reach and engagement. By choosing the right platforms, you can optimise your social media strategy and connect with your audience where they are most likely to interact with your brand.

4. Craft your messaging and content

Take the time to develop a consistent and authentic brand voice that aligns with your target audience and reflects your brand's values. Create content that is engaging, informative, and visually appealing to capture the attention of your audience. Whether it's well-crafted posts, captivating videos, eye-catching images, or interactive stories, tailor your content to provide value and resonate with your audience's needs and interests. By focusing on quality and relevance, you can foster meaningful connections, drive engagement, and establish your brand as a trusted source of valuable content in the social media landscape.

Related: Best Instagram Business Pages We’ve Ever Seen…And How to Be Like Them!

5. Plan your content calendar

By laying out your content in advance, you can ensure consistency, maintain a steady posting schedule, and align your content with important dates and events. Take the time to brainstorm ideas, create a content mix that caters to different formats and topics, and establish a tone that suits your audience and platform. A well-planned content calendar allows you to organise your efforts, maintain a cohesive brand presence, and save time in the long run. It provides a roadmap for creating and sharing engaging content that resonates with your audience, helps you stay organized, and keeps your social media strategy on track.

You can download our 15 Days Instagram Content Calendar here to help you plan and organise your content! Get your copy here!

6. Engage with your audience

It's not enough to simply broadcast messages – active engagement is key. Respond to comments, messages, and inquiries in a timely and personal manner. Show genuine interest in your audience's perspectives, questions, and feedback. Create opportunities for interaction by asking questions, running polls, or encouraging user-generated content. By nurturing two-way conversations, you can build a strong rapport with your audience, foster a sense of community, and cultivate brand loyalty. Remember, social media is a platform for building relationships, so make your audience feel valued and heard by actively engaging with them.

7. Measure and adapt

Regularly monitor your social media metrics using analytics tools to gain insights into your performance. Track important metrics like engagement rates, reach, click-through rates, and conversions to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts. Analyse the data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. For example, if you sell dresses and your audience likes more posts on how to style these dresses, analysing your data will tell you that.

Based on these insights, adapt your strategy accordingly by fine-tuning your content, adjusting your posting schedule, or experimenting with different approaches. By constantly measuring, analysing, and adapting, you can optimise your social media strategy, drive better results, and stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Remember, developing a social media strategy is an ongoing process. Continuously evaluate your results, experiment with new ideas, and adapt your strategy as needed.

The Important Social Media Marketing Metrics to Track

Image source: Adespresso

After taking all that time to create content and share with your audience, and also spend money to boost some of these posts or run ads, it is super important to check the results. You can do this by tracking some of the metrics that show you how well your content is performing. Let’s look at some of these metrics below.

1. Engagement Rate: Measure the level of interaction your content receives, such as likes, comments, shares, and saves. It indicates how well your content is resonating with your audience.

2. Reach and Impressions: Track the number of unique users who see your content (reach) and the total number of times your content is displayed (impressions). This helps you understand your content's visibility and potential audience size.

3. Click-Through Rate (CTR): Calculate the percentage of users who click on a specific link or call-to-action in your content. It measures the effectiveness of your content in driving traffic to your website or landing page. You can track this by using tools like

   Bitly, Hootsuite or Rebrandly.

4. Conversion Rate: Track the percentage of users who take a desired action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource if you have one. A resource for example here could be an ebook or a simple document on how to do something that is important for your audience. It indicates the effectiveness of your social media campaigns in generating conversions.

5. Follower Growth: Monitor the number of new followers gained over a specific period. It reflects your brand's reach and popularity on social media.

6. Sentiment Analysis: Assess the sentiment (positive, negative, or neutral) of comments, mentions, or conversations surrounding your brand. This provides insights into how your audience perceives your brand and can help you address any issues or capitalize on positive feedback. You can do this by simply searching your brand name on social media, or using a tool like Mention.

7. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Measure the value a customer brings to your business over their entire relationship with your brand. This metric helps you understand the long-term impact of your social media marketing efforts. A great tool to use here is

   Bumpa, which gives you details on every customer transaction and makes it easy to see how much a customer has spent on your business over time.

Remember, the most important metrics to track will vary depending on your specific goals and objectives. Regularly monitoring these metrics and analysing the data will provide valuable insights to guide your social media marketing strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you use social media marketing to grow your small business?

To use social media marketing to grow your small business, define your goals and target audience. Choose the right platforms, create engaging content, and actively engage with your audience. Utilise social media advertising to expand reach, and regularly analyse metrics to adapt your strategy.

2. Can I learn social media marketing on my own?

Absolutely! Learning social media marketing on your own is entirely possible. There are numerous online resources, tutorials, courses, and communities available that can help you gain the necessary knowledge and skills. Start by familiarising yourself with the various social media platforms, studying successful marketing strategies, and experimenting with different techniques. Stay curious, practice, and adapt as you learn.

3. How do I get more social media followers for my business?

To get more social media followers for your business, focus on creating valuable and engaging content, actively engage with your audience, collaborate with influencers or other brands, run contests or giveaways, promote your social media channels through your website and other marketing channels, and utilise social media advertising to reach a wider audience.

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