365 days of social media love

Are you so over love? Now that another Valentine’s Day is in the books, we don’t blame you for being ready to move on. While we agree that not every day needs to follow the gushy hearts and flowers approach to love, you can actually leverage love in your small business marketing and social media strategy year-round…in a roundabout way! Translation: Showing appreciation for your customers and providing stellar customer service.

That doesn’t mean you need to give away dream vacations every day or sign your social media posts with hugs and kisses (unless that’s part of your brand, of course!). The bonus: Ultimately, these efforts will be a win-win for your customer and your business.Here are a few ways to share the love in your small business social media, no matter what day of the year it is:

Show Off  & Spell it Out: Thanks to the updates to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, plus how YouTube, Snapchat and Pinterest function by default, there are endless ways you can educate current and prospective customers about your products. From full video tutorials to small tips throughout the day, you just need to start making the magic.

• For your customer: Ease of use and understanding of your product or service!
• For your business: This will give you more visibility and create a deeper understanding of your product. For example, if you’re demonstrating how to make the perfect lasagna with your brand of spaghetti sauce, not only will you be bringing value to the customer with helpful tips, but also showing your product in action (a delicious one that you’d likely want to replicate with your brand of spaghetti sauce)!

Make Your Events Easy to Find: Visibility + repetition = win in this case, and you have a variety of options to solve that equation. Maybe it’s through Facebook Events or posting creative event lead-up reminders, not to mention your other marketing efforts (e.g., e-mail, website, etc.).

• For your customer: They’ll have an easier time becoming aware of your events and they won’t have to dig for information.
• For your business: The easier it is to know about your events, the more likely your attendance is to increase!

Provide Content They Want: This can mean literally, or what you’re noticing through analysis. For example, feature something you’re constantly hearing questions about. Or, use your social media analytics to determine what’s resonating with your community.

• For your customer: You’re providing value and information they’re looking for.
• For your business: You’re positioning yourself as the go-to source and turning the algorithm/reach factors to your favor.

(Psst! Have questions about these features? Message us for help!)
Feature Customers: What better way to show your product in action than from the people actually using your product or service? Some of the traditional formats include soliciting user-generated content (e.g., post a photo on your Facebook Fan Page, tag/hashtag photos, etc.), while you can be more complex (social media takeovers) or let your customers pitch you their creative ideas.

• For your customers: Not only do they get rewarded for using your product, but they get to share their opinion.
• For your business: So many, including content generation, testimonials and a potential increase in engagement from the customer’s friends.

Bonus: Show love to yourself!
Using marketing and social media to show customer appreciation is a no-brainer, but what about using social media to take care of yourself? As an entrepreneur, startup or small business owner, there’s always something to do. Whether every day is a work day, or you’re attached at the hip to your e-mail, how do you expect to provide the best service to your customers if you’re running on empty?

• Get Away: Overwhelmed by social media when you’re on vacation, at a conference or during a busy season? Use social media features to set realistic expectations for your customers.For example, set a Facebook auto-message so inquiring customers have realistic response expectations. Make a public post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram when you’re taking time off or anticipate having slower response times—people respect that. You can even give some personal details that show off your company culture/behind-the-scenes, such as “As we celebrate a very special graduation milestone for our daughter this weekend, we’ll be taking time off from social media and e-mails to spend time with family. Please feel free to message or e-mail us so that we can follow up when we return to regular business hours on Wednesday.”

• Educate Yourself: Whether it’s specifically your industry, or education for all the “hats” you wear (for those of us who relate to being the accountant one day and the IT department the next…), social media can provide a goldmine when it comes to staying educated.Follow libraries, community resource groups, event listings organizations and specific businesses. Check the Facebook events tab to find new networking or vendor opportunities locally, or virtual events that may be of interest to you. Use other social media platforms to research upcoming projects. There are so many ways to use social media below the surface! (Bonus: Are you registered for PHX Startup Week? See you there!) ​
• Self-care: Fill your personal social media with things that are healthy and provide benefit to you. Follow local fitness studios, use Facebook groups to ask friends/locals for nearby healthy living recommendations or find something new in your community (park yoga, anyone?). Taking care of you = better business!
• Karma: Leave a review for a business you’ve recently used. While some have preferences on where they prefer listings (e.g., Yelp, Google, Facebook, Etsy, OpenTable), most will appreciate your effort, no matter the location.

Let us know: What are you doing to show love for your customers or yourself?