The Daily 8: A Social Media Checklist for Small Business Owners

These days, it seems like everyone is giving their opinion on social media marketing, management, and how it should be done.

Unfortunately for you, the business owner, the competing voices have turned into babel. You can't decipher what's "good SEO" anymore and what isn't (mostly because none of what you've been reading is really informing you).

So here it is, the big secret behind what you really need to do to make social media actually help your business and bring in plenty of new leads, customers, and most importantly...sales.

Are you ready for this?

The secret to social media marketing is...just do it, every single day!

Disappointed? Don't be. This is actually fantastic news for you! This means the playing field is actually extremely level for small and medium sized businesses looking to get some inexpensive marketing out of their social media profiles. What no one is driving home in their countless blog posts and articles about social media is the simple truth that the easiest and most affordable way to get ahead is by simply using the tools given to you. You need to post and engage daily in order to gain a following. That, in turn, can bring home the bacon.

Now that the cat's out of the bag and you know the BIG SECRET to social media marketing, you're ready to get out there and make some easy money, right? Well hold on there - we've got one more problem to solve.

Where to start.

If you're like 90% of small and medium sized business owners, you consider social media as something you do NOT have the time for, and we totally understand that. That leaves you with three options:

1. Give up on social media marketing all together and let your competition run away with the potential business you've lost.
2. Hire a smart, affordable marketing agency like Mindbrew Creative that was built specifically to help small businesses succeed.
3. Follow the Daily 8 everyday. It's a simple list of tasks we put together for you - a daily social media checklist you can complete entirely from your phone.

If you're going to catch the attention of your customers, you need to know what they are interested in. Don't be afraid to share content from other sources, as long as it isn't a direct competitor. You'll also have to make sure you are up to speed on the latest news, technology, and trends inside your industry. You don't want to be caught looking like an amateur!

Twitter should be the first place you go, as research shows that Twitter usage is highest before the workday begins, and drops significantly after 9am. Share images, stories, musings, and the latest news from your business. If you own a restaurant, post your daily specials. If you're an auto body shop, try posting a picture of a new concept car coming out in the next year. Be innovative, fun, and of course...use hashtags.

Just like Twitter, Facebook usage spikes in the morning as people check their profiles before they get into work. In order to engage with them, you want to get your posts out quickly. If you add photos, make sure to give them descriptions. Use links, create events if possible, and make it engaging.

LinkedIn still remains a mostly ignored tool for social media junkies, which is odd. LinkedIn regularly contributes one of the highest acquisition rates for small business websites. But remember, LinkedIn errs on the more serious end of the social media spectrum, so don't go posting memes.

Google+ is another social profile that is still being under-utilized. When a search engine owns a social media platform, you want to make sure you are actively participating. Make sure to have both a personal Google+ account and a page that you manage for your business. Join Google+ communities that will have both like-minded professionals, but also ones that will help you reach your target audience. Need some help setting up Google+ profiles? Contact us and we'll help guide you.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't ALL ABOUT YOU, even on your own social media pages. Your audience is smart and web-savvy. They know if you're only posting content meant to sell a product. Make sure you are contributing to the broader conversation online. That means giving helpful tips, advice, and even a few trade secrets if you can afford it. Businesses who cloak their services and talents in secrecy tend to miss out on generating new business.

If your small business is one that makes and sells products, then you want to show off what you are doing as much as possible online. Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr are the best social media sites for sharing image-based updates and news, but don't forget about your other accounts too. Nothing says "accidental customer" like an attractive image of those moist cupcakes you just pulled out of the oven - imagine the hungry guy in the office down the street stumbling upon that!

This is perhaps the most overlooked step of all. It's called Social Media, not "scream at the top of your lungs even though no one is listening" Media. In order for your following to grow and get to know you and your business, you have to talk back to them. Ask for feedback and opinions, see what your customers want from you and deliver on it - that's the beauty of what social media can do for you!

So, are there more than 8 steps you can take to make your social media checklist work? Of course there are. But the goal of the Daily 8 is to get the ball rolling and keep you in the habit of getting the most out of your social media profiles. Once you're posting great, daily content to a large following, then you're ready to invest in sponsored posts and affiliate links.

If you see the obvious value in social media marketing and the Daily 8, but don't trust your busy schedule or knowledge of the web, then we'd love to hear from you. We'll talk with you about how social media can help your business grow, and how little it really costs to do so. Contact us online, or call (215)-264-9286.