How To Start Marketing Your Small Business On Social Media

Summary

The video presents a practical, resource-conscious approach to starting social media marketing at a small business. Its central recommendation is to focus on a few clear goals, choose platforms based on the audience, plan distinctive content, and measure results so the strategy can be adjusted.

Suggested Playbook

1. Choose one or two goals to start. Goals might include product awareness, sales, website leads, or brand building. Avoid taking on too many if you don’t have a dedicated marketing team.
2. Balance short- and long-term outcomes.
   • Short-term campaigns can drive direct sales or leads, especially for a promotion or an immediate revenue need.
   • Brand-building efforts focus on awareness, engagement, and public sentiment. They may not produce immediate revenue but can support sales over time.
   • Direct-response campaigns have limits: a small audience may generate only so many leads or sales, and paid campaigns can become uneconomical as the cost per action rises.
3. Audit existing social media accounts. Review platforms where the business already has an audience before investing in a new one.
4. Define the audience and choose platforms accordingly. Consider demographics, profession, interests, and how people use each platform. The same person may respond to different messages on different platforms.
5. Research competitors. List three to five close competitors and review their audience size, posting frequency and consistency, engagement, and content sharing.
6. Plan content with an editorial calendar. Use it to organize ideas, adapting them to the brand rather than copying competitors.
7. Track performance and iterate. Use platform analytics or a social media management tool. Continue effective tactics and change what isn’t working.

Content and Execution

• Match content to its intended outcome: product photos for awareness, surveys or questions for engagement, live video to demonstrate authority, and paid ads to generate leads or sales.
• Influencer partnerships may help brands with a solid budget accelerate a campaign.
• Keep copy concise, include relevant keywords, and use emojis where appropriate.
• Use correctly sized, preferably original, images rather than stock images.
• Put a video’s main message in its first few seconds.
• Include a clear call to action, except when the goal is organic engagement. In that case, invite responses with a question or statement.

Metrics and Examples

The video gives no specific performance targets, budgets, or campaign timelines. Metrics to review include followers or fans, posting frequency and consistency, comments and other engagement, and shares, repins, or retweets.

The presenter notes that the average person uses more than eight social media accounts, underscoring the importance of targeting people based on their interests on each platform. For example, a 32-year-old woman in San Diego might work in HR and use LinkedIn, follow pet groups on Facebook, and watch tennis instruction videos on YouTube. The right platform depends on what the business sells.

Tools Mentioned

The presenter recommends templates for social media audits, buyer personas, editorial calendars, and reporting. Tools mentioned include Hootsuite, Sprout Social (called “Social Sprout” in the subtitles), and HubSpot’s Marketing Hub.

Presenter and Sources

• Presenter: Jamal, speaking on the HubSpot Marketing channel.
• Additional references: HubSpot templates and Marketing Hub; Hootsuite and Sprout Social.
• The video ends with a HubSpot CRM promotional segment.