Capitalizing on social media as a small business

While there are no "one-size-fits all" answers to those questions, there are definitely tips and insights that help.

Let's take a deeper look: With all of the noise being generated on social media, how is the average small business supposed to be heard?

When we first began Oostas we opened a Twitter account and began making daily posts, things that we thought were relevant to the small business owner. Nearly two years in we are likely going to stop our daily posts and focus on only posting when we have something "newsworthy." Why? Twitter was created for news. Every industry is different, but for us as a web and marketing agency, we're not getting much traction by posting "interesting" articles, tips and small business insights on Twitter. We get more interaction when we announce a new blog post, showcase a website we just launched, or introduce a new team member. Those items are newsworthy, and that's what Twitter wants. 

So . . . how can the average small business be heard more amidst all the noise?

Make it personal - Be authentic

Utilize the social media platform for what it's built for (Facebook for relationships, LinkedIn for business connections, Twitter for news, Instagram for photos, etc.)

Is there any hope of building a legitimate social audience that will actually produce results for your business?

Starting from scratch often means starting small. When we started Oostas we wanted to build up our email marketing list. We looked into purchasing lists, but that was too risky and seemed to end up being more detrimental than good. We opted to build a list organically. So, starting with friends and family, we gradually added to our list as we went out and "cold-visited" hundreds of local businesses. Because we started small and grew organically, our list is now well over 2500, which may not seem too impressive to some, but our open rate on email campaigns is close to 30%. (Industry standards say an open rate of 16% is good.) We're blowing our competition out of the water, and that's partly because it's organic.

So . . . is there really any hope of building a legitimate audience on social media that produces results?



Yes. Similar to our email list, we recommend building your audience on social media organically. Social media platforms are smart, and they know if you're "cheating" the system and buying likes/followers. If you're building organically, you'll have more natural interest and likely have more interaction as well.

Many small business owners operate on a tight budget, so looking at the bottom line is critical. Does social media offer any real ROI possibilities for the average small business?

As a small business owner myself I'm constantly on the lookout for networking possibilities. Near the beginning of starting Oostas I joined a networking group that meets every Friday morning for the purpose of connecting and passing referrals. There are over 50 people in my group, and the first time I visited they passed over 80 referrals, accounting for several thousand dollars of business being passed in the room that day! Needless to say I was impressed, yet it still took me several weeks to decide to join. Why? Because I was looking at the numbers. It was going to cost me just over $1000 a year to join, and that was a big commitment financially.

I joined and didn't see many referrals coming in during my first three months. I kept plugging away, introducing myself, and doing the one-to-one meetings with fellow networkers. During my third month in I was given a referral that actually turned into a client, and low and behold, I made up my expenses for the year, with just one referral. Everything that came in after that for the year was pure profit.

So . . . can social media provide any real ROI for your business?

I believe the benefits of using social media are similar to the benefits of my networking group. If you're going to have someone manage your social media platforms for you, then take a look at the numbers. What's that going to cost you each year? How many clients would you need to gain out of social media during that year to make it worth it? But remember, it takes time. You might not see the return on your investment in the first year. Give it time, work the system, keep putting yourself out in front of your target audience, and you WILL see the fruit.

If you're ready for some help and need someone to take your social media to the next level, give us a call today. We'll connect you with someone on our team who's a pro at getting you results.