Social media can add immense value to any business but especially to small businesses getting them a tremendous amount of exposure if they manage their social media accounts well. We outline 12 tips on how you can use your social media connections the right way and leverage the millions of people that are active online to help you grow your business.

1: Connect with real-life contacts immediately on social media

Establishing business relationships is the single most important thing that you can do for your business but just meeting someone once does not constitute a relationship. So, once you have exchanged business cards with an industry contact add them on your social media networks and begin to build a social connection with them before they forget who you are or where they met you. Stay relevant to them and at the forefront of their mind!    

2: Teach, don’t preach

Use your social media channels to educate your audience. Don’t talk at people, instead talk to them and be respectful of their opinions and viewpoints. No one likes to feel like you are talking down to them or belittling them for their ignorance. Always remember that social media is not a pulpit to lecture, rather it is a platform to connect with people and have conversations.

3: Make all of your posts in English

If you plan to operate in international markets, it can be commonplace to want to use the regional dialect for the countries that you are marketing in. However, posting in too many languages on your social media can become overwhelming and frustrating for your audience and they may unfollow you. English is the most commonly used language in the business world so stick to that to maintain your professionalism.

4: Keep it short

Social media is digital and fast moving. Keeping your posts short and relevant will allow your followers to read quickly and engage without losing interest. The best posts that receive the most engagement are those that only take a few seconds to read.

5: Post frequently

Because social media is ever flowing and ever-changing, you must post often in order to keep the conversation going. Popping in and commenting sporadically will not get the job done. Respond to every single comment that gets left for you to keep the conversation going. That is your number one goal with social media, to be social and start conversations.  

6: Create a social media marketing plan 

Think about your specific goals behind wanting to use social media to advance your brand. What are you trying to accomplish by using social media? You should figure out your goals before even creating an account for your business and making the first post. This is because you want to be consistent in your message from the very beginning so customers and potential customers know exactly what to expect from your brand.

7: Establish your brand

Social media is all about establishing your brand and getting your message out there. But, what is your message? Spend some time to figure out exactly what your company values and beliefs are before starting to engage with customers via social media. Who are you as a company and what are you bringing to the table?

How to Boost Your Winery Social Media Connections?

8: Just pick one

Pick one or two social channel platforms and stick to them. Figure out the platform that is right for your company and brands and use that. It is best to put all of your efforts into building a strong social media presence using one network before trying out the others.

9: Decide if you are doing it yourself

You may be too busy to handle your social media accounts yourself and that is ok! But, decide early on if you will hire someone or if you will manage it yourself. And if you choose to hire a professional then hire someone with the experience and the time to manage your account properly. Asking someone that has your brand’s social media management as a low priority on their list will not work.

10: Think before you post

Once a post is out there on the internet, there is no taking it back. So, think hard before posting something that could be misconstrued or considered offensive. Many people have lost their jobs or businesses off of just one single post on social media that lacked forethought and went viral for all of the wrong reasons.

11: Be yourself

Be authentic with your brand, it’s image and therefore it’s image online and in social media. Not doing so will harm your brand’s image as people will quickly lose trust. Define a message and develop it consistently through all your marketing channels – be it sales, PR, advertising or social media.

12: Be visual

Many of us have relatively short attention spans now so using visual aids in your posts is much more effective than relying on words alone to grab someone’s attention. Use a lot of colours, different fonts within the same post, videos and pictures to get your point across. Developing a positive social media presence is all about creating your personality and being consistent in that message.

These tips have worked for us and we know that they will work for you to build a presence and push your brand to the forefront of the minds of your target audience. We invite you to share with us tips that have worked for you on social media as well. After all, we are trying to start the conversation, right?