Kristen, an entrepreneur and student from Boone, NC, asked us this question:

“How can I enhance my social media to spread the news about my small business in the next 2 months?”

This is a question that every single business owner has because social media, and how we use it, is just different today. It’s different than it was when it became popular in the early 2000s. It’s different than it was when Facebook took over the world. It’s different than it was even yesterday.

With the ever-changing social media landscape, there’s tons of advice out there for you to absorb and use for your small business. But what will make the most impact and take your business to the next level? Here’s our advice.

Live Videos

Aaaaand…. we’re live! In case you missed it, live videos have completely changed the social media landscape this past year. They’re everywhere you go now — YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat — and they’re going nowhere anytime soon. If you want to enhance your social media game this year, it’s time to step into the spotlight for your small business.

First, write down a couple of live video ideas that would work for your business. This could be anything from cooking demonstrations, to workshops and classes, to Q&As with customers who want to know more about your brand. Next, pick the appropriate platform for that type of content. You don’t need to go live on every social media channel that’s out there. Think about the demographic you’re trying to reach, and go live on the channels that demographic frequents.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Live streaming can feel strange and scary at first, but it can propel your small business to new heights in a matter of minutes. If you’ve got something to teach or educate your audience about, there’s no better way to get through to them than through live, unedited videos.

User-generated Content

The easiest (and cheapest!) way to promote your small business is to have others promote it for you. We’re talking user-generated content.

You might notice your favorite brand reposting a photo on Facebook from a customer using their product, or a local restaurant sharing the Instagram story from a patron who recently dined with them. By doing so, they’re using social proof to promote their business online.

Customers consult online review engines (like Google and Tripadvisor) before doing anything nowadays. That’s because they want to know what other people are saying before they decide to buy from a specific business. They want that credibility. They want that social proof. By sharing user-generated content, you’re doing the same thing through your social media.

Employee Advocacy

It’s true — people like seeing the faces behind the brand. But that doesn’t mean they only want to see the business owner’s face. It’s important for employees to get involved in social media, as well.

Think of it as a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at your small business. Give your customers a peek behind the curtain by showing the people who run the day-to-day of your business. That can be through “meet the team” posts, birthday shout-outs, profile takeovers (why not let the new intern run your social media for the day?), or simply through employee advocacy.

By employee advocacy, we mean that each and every employee should feel compelled to like, comment, and share your small business’s social media posts. They should want to promote and expand the reach of the place show up to work for every day.

If you need a quick way to get your social media ahead of the game, these three tips are a great place to start, but there is so much more to learn about growing your small business’s social media presence. Take a look at these other fundamentals.

• When it comes to marketing your startup, it’s OK to start small. Learn more in our blog, “Marketing Your Startup: Digital Strategies To Help You Get Started.”
• Discover your target audience by learning the fundamentals of who to talk to, what questions to ask, and how to turn responses into actionable steps with our Basics of Customer Discovery training.
• Making customers feel valued is the name of the game when you want your small business to get noticed. Whether through in-person or online experiences, become better equipped by learning this fundamental.