Businesses need to stay top of mind with customers and there are several ways to do that with newsletters, emails, advertising but the best option could be social media. Local businesses are really thriving because of social media now without spending any money. Local businesses usually rely on word-of-mouth recommendations but since Covid, the word-of-mouth recommendations is really growing via social media. Local businesses have to have a constant presence on social media otherwise they are missing out on those customers and their feedback. Think about the last time that you wanted to get a suggestion for something, did you research it online and poor over reviews wasting tons of your free time? Most people today now just put up a post on social media and ask for suggestions or recommendations when they are looking for a restaurant, where to stay on vacation, what sightseeing is worthwhile and what’s not worth your time. Instead of calling and asking around you can just get feedback from friends on social media but businesses can also help the situation along by establishing themselves in their local community.
Since 2019 nearly one million new users are getting on social media every day so you need to be on Facebook at a minimum. This way customers can find your hours, see suggestions from customers, check the menu, etc.
I know so many people that constantly ask for suggestions on Facebook and this would be a great way to recommend somewhere local but if that local business doesn’t stay top of mind, then you may not think of them when you are making suggestions. You can look on Instagram and Facebook as the go to for checking on your local spot and whether or not they are open, what they are offering, specials, or sales, etc. Google can be outdated but using social media you can see posts, suggestions, recommendations, business hours, and even interesting information about the business. More people are looking to be part of their local community and social media is helping local businesses to connect with their customers. Customers who frequent certain places and share pictures, videos, stories, and various other information about that business essentially posting a mini blog post about that business. Local businesses can use this to interact and engage with their customers on a more personal level.
Dave, the host of this podcast from the Buffer team, mentioned how he went to his local pub the other day as there was a heat wave in the UK where he lives and he wanted to escape the heat in his home. The pub he said has great air conditioning, they are laptop friendly, and they are dog friendly so he loves to go there. While he was there his dog hopped up in his lap and one of the staff asked if they could take a picture of him and his dog to share on their social media. He agreed and they shared a picture of him with his laptop and his dog and mentioned in an Instagram post that their pub is dog friendly as well as laptop friendly. He thought that this was a very nice touch and perhaps people in his local area will be able to see that they can get to the local pub with their dog and laptop to do some work.
The guest on the show, Ash, mentioned a few things that local businesses need to do as they appear to be working for others. Having a Facebook page is an absolute must mostly for just discoverability. If you are a service-based business then you need to be on Google for address location. Ash also suggests asking the customers where they go on social media and see how they are getting their info for local businesses as this could help to gain insight as well as engage their customers more.
Ash mentions that there has to be a seamless cohesiveness to the offline and online business. He mentions a cheese shop that had great friendly and approachable social media but if the staff were not friendly in person, then that would be a failure. The cheese shop is known to have long form Instagram posts and the person who recommended it to him said they are almost like mini blog posts about a specific type of cheese each time. The cheese store is educating and sharing information with their followers which is can be very engaging. Some other suggestions were to include your social accounts on the receipts for people to follow and then you can offer discounts to customers who follow your business on social media. I know that I have been to several businesses that gave me a discount for checking in and sharing a post about the business. These are all great ways to engage with customers and to grow your reach on social media.
I know of a place in Santa Barbara, Rincon Beach Bar, that my wife and I found by dumb luck really but once we stopped by, we loved it so much that I immediately shared the place on Instagram and followed the restaurant. This business was setup as the go to location for large parties and events only, they were not a restaurant open to the public and walk-ins until Covid hit and they had to adapt. The food is amazing, the setting is gorgeous and if you didn’t know about it, then you would drive right by.
Tips to help your local business by killing it on social media:
· Setup a Facebook page.
· Setup your business on Google.
· Ask your customers about how they get their info about businesses on social media.
· Display your social handles on your receipts.
· Give discounts to those who follow and share about the business to their personal pages.
Use social listening to find what people in your area are looking for on social media.
For more tips on how you can Kill It on Social and grow your local business please visit us at https://www.thesmmu.com/
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