{"id":21021,"date":"2019-02-28T17:54:25","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T22:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=21021"},"modified":"2019-03-01T17:54:59","modified_gmt":"2019-03-01T22:54:59","slug":"social-media-tips-small-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/social-media-tips-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Social Media Quick-Hits for Small Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You know you\u2019re supposed to be on social media-it seems to be recommended in every small business publication you read and event you attend. But it\u2019s hard breaking out of the mindset that social media is a time waster (and frankly, it can be!).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, social media can potentially open the door to a more direct connection with your customers, which can pay off not only in a higher number of customers, but in customers that are more loyal and care more about your brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As nice as that sounds, you don\u2019t have much time to work with. If you\u2019re going to use social media for your small business, you need to figure out how to make sure you\u2019re not wasting your time. You need an efficient approach that actually gets results. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are twenty tips for making sure you don\u2019t spend any more time on social media than you have to, and that the hours you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> put in pay off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/managed-wordpress-hosting\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18313\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Wordpress.png\" alt=\"best WordPress hosting\" width=\"470\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Wordpress.png 470w, https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Wordpress-300x38.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 Steps for Smarter Small Business Social Media Marketing<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it may sound counterintuitive, to make sure the time you spend on social media is efficient and worthwhile, you first need to devote some time to studying what works so you can create a plan that makes sense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>1. Decide which channels to prioritize.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First off: good news! You don\u2019t have to be everywhere, and you don\u2019t have to divide your time evenly between the platforms you do join. Just because you keep hearing about Snapchat or have that one friend who swears by Periscope doesn\u2019t mean those channels are right for your business. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/social-media-sites-for-small-business\/\">social media channels<\/a> you want to be on are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The ones where your target audience spends the most time. &nbsp;<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sproutsocial.com\/insights\/new-social-media-demographics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">demographic breakdown<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of who\u2019s hanging out on which platforms. If your business sells clothing for middle-aged women, Pinterest is more important for you than Twitter and you can ignore Snapchat altogether. <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><strong>The ones that are a good fit for your products and strengths.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some channels are much more image than text heavy. Some move fast and thrive on shorter messages, while others allow you some room to take your time and make longer statements. There\u2019s a chance you\u2019ll have to stretch a little out of your comfort zone to be where your audience is, but figure out where that comfort zone is and which channels will be a better fit for your particular strengths. And of course, think about what\u2019s best suited to your products or services. If you sell jewelry or run a gorgeous resort, image-focused sites like Instagram are a must. If you offer IT support, Instagram won\u2019t be as important as the more text-centered channels like Facebook and Twitter. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you research what each social media channel is and who uses it, work up a list of the ones you know you need to be on and the level of priority you should give each. The channel(s) on the top of your list will get more of your time, and you\u2019ll increase efficiency by not stressing out too much over those lower on the list or left off altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>2. Analyze your competitors.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the frustrating things about social media is that it\u2019s hard to know what will work until you try it. And learning by trial and error eats up a lot of your valuable time. But there\u2019s a shortcut to getting an idea of what works with your audience: spy on your competitors. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify 4-5 main competitors in your space that are active on the social media channels you\u2019ve decided to focus on and look at what they\u2019re doing. Compare how well each of them is doing in terms of followers and engagement. And pay attention to which of their posts get the most engagement. Can you find any trends in what\u2019s working and what\u2019s falling flat?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>3. Identify relevant influencers.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best way to get more out of social media while doing less: use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/influencer-marketing-small-business\/\">influencer marketing<\/a>. Whatever your industry, you can find people on social media who have large followings and regularly spend time sharing useful information. Follow them. Pay attention to what they share. Interact with them and their community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the lead of the top influencers in your industry is an efficient way to start finding the people you want to reach on the platform and connecting with them. Influencers will provide a good model of what works well with your audience. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you share their stuff and interact with them enough over time, you could develop a relationship. If that happens and they share your stuff or signal boost one of your updates, that\u2019s a quick path to new followers and higher visibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>4. Create a (realistic) social media plan.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your time on social media will be much more productive and effective if you\u2019re strategic about it. Use what you learned in the first few steps to sit down and work up a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/include-social-media-calendar\/\">social media calendar<\/a>. Include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>How often you intend to post on each platform &#8211; <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure you keep this realistic. If you overextend yourself, you\u2019re more likely to stop doing anything on social media. While posting frequently will get better results on many platforms (particularly fast-moving ones like Twitter and Pinterest), consistency is generally a better goal than frequency.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The types of posts you\u2019ll share<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Think about the types of content formats to use, the mix of your content and other people\u2019s, and how often to share questions, polls, videos, promotions, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>A posting schedule<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; When do you plan to post on each platform? Create a calendar template now that provides an outline of the times you aim to share something on each platform throughout the typical week and fill in the actual updates that will go in each slot as you go. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Keep in mind the times of day your audience is most active on each platform.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your plan won\u2019t be set in stone, you\u2019ll likely make changes to it as you learn more about what your audience responds to. But having a plan to begin with will help you stick with updating your social media channels and make sure your overall approach is strategic and thought out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11 Ways to Make Your Social Media Sharing Go Further<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the details of what works best on social media will vary for different businesses, there are some tips that are useful to everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>1. Make use of your bio.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each social media site will allow you a space to describe who you are. The amount of space you have varies, but you should always use it to full effect. In your social media bio, include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Your unique value proposition <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; who are you and what makes your business special?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Relevant details about your business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; If you have a storefront, where are you located? How can people get in touch with you?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>A link back your website<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; A lot of your social media efforts will be about driving people back to your website, so get straight to the point in your bio with a link.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21023\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/instagram-bio-example.png\" alt=\"instagram bio example\" width=\"983\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/instagram-bio-example.png 983w, https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/instagram-bio-example-300x107.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/instagram-bio-example-768x274.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 983px) 100vw, 983px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crafting a good social media bio is a quick but important step to take for each platform you\u2019re on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>2. Use a social scheduling tool.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re intimidated by the idea of having to be on social media frequently throughout the day, don\u2019t worry, the small businesses you see posting frequently aren\u2019t actually on social media as often as you think. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most businesses that do social media marketing use scheduling tools like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/buffer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buffer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hootsuite.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HootSuite<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to schedule updates in advance. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of logging on multiple times each day to post updates, you can devote a couple of hours each week to planning all your updates at once.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21025\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/plan-social-posts-with-hootsuite.png\" alt=\"plan social posts with hootsuite\" width=\"946\" height=\"753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/plan-social-posts-with-hootsuite.png 946w, https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/plan-social-posts-with-hootsuite-300x239.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/plan-social-posts-with-hootsuite-768x611.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 946px) 100vw, 946px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most popular social media scheduling tools have a free version that will do as much as most small businesses will need, so you can take advantage social scheduling no matter your budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>3. Identify relevant social communities.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On different social media platforms, people with common interests find ways to gather. You want to be a part of the communities on each of the platforms that are relevant to your audience. On Twitter, research Twitter chats in your industry or in topic areas relevant to you. On Facebook and LinkedIn, go looking for relevant groups. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you own a pet store, look for communities of dog or cat lovers. If you\u2019re an accountant, a small business Twitter chat could be a good way to connect with potential clients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21022\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/facebook-post.png\" alt=\"facebook post\" width=\"710\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/facebook-post.png 710w, https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/facebook-post-300x252.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find where on the channel your audience is hanging out, join, and start participating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>4. Share your own content.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re doing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/tips-blog-content-marketing-strategy\/\">content marketing<\/a>, then social media is one of the best venues you have for promoting your content. And posting updates about the content you produce is an easy way to increase your sharing frequency. It\u2019s win-win.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t be afraid to create multiple updates about the same piece of content, especially on the high-volume sites like Twitter. Research shows that instead of annoying your followers, it vastly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/coschedule.com\/blog\/share-social-media-posts-multiple-times\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increases the likelihood <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that they\u2019ll see and interact with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>5. Use what you have.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What makes social media so intimidating from a time management perspective is the idea of having to continually find new things to say from scratch. You can probably save yourself a lot of time and trouble by doing a survey of everything you already have to work with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Much of your content can be repurposed into short social media updates. You can easily use social media to highlight your employees-who they are and what they\u2019re up to. The conversations around the office could yield useful social media ideas. And look around you and see if there are any interesting items or moments around the office that could make good social media images or posts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>6. Share the love.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you\u2019re doing content marketing, sharing your own stuff will only take you so far. And social media shouldn\u2019t be all about you, it\u2019s about interacting with other people. So fill your social media calendar more easily by finding content and updates from other people in your industry to share.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those influencers you followed can help with this. So can your audience-pay attention to the things they share. And anytime you read something on your own that you know would be valuable to your audience, make a habit out of sharing it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be quick to retweet and share any social media updates you like, and respond to others on social media when you have something useful to add to the conversation. This will both get you on more people\u2019s radars, and increase the frequency of your sharing without having to create more content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>7. Use hashtags (where relevant).<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hashtags aren\u2019t just for Twitter anymore, many of the social media platforms now have hashtag functionality. Hashtags are useful because they group your post in with other posts on the same topic. Someone searching a social media site for posts about financial advice can quickly find a lot at once by searching or clicking on the #personalfinance hashtag and could see your post, even if they never followed you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/linkedin-post.png\" alt=\"linkedin post\" width=\"550\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/linkedin-post.png 550w, https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/linkedin-post-300x279.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you use hashtags, there are a few best practices to follow:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Make sure you\u2019re using hashtags others are using.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you try to make a hashtag out of a phrase that\u2019s too long or specific, it won\u2019t be worth much. Usually one or two word phrases that describe the category your tweet or content falls into work best.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Make sure they\u2019re relevant. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your hashtags should be directly related to the social media post they\u2019re a part of. Otherwise you risk confusing people and creating a bad experience for them. <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t overuse them.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stick to 1-3 hashtags. Overloading an update with hashtags makes your update look sloppy and means you risk including hashtags that are no longer relevant to your post.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be careful about how you use them, but get in the habit of always adding a hashtag or two to your posts where it\u2019s appropriate to do so. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>8. Be social.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This one may seem obvious for something called 'social media,'\u009d but too many small businesses start up social media accounts only to push out their own content and offers, without interacting with anyone else. You want to be a part of conversations on social media, and maybe even the one getting them started. So create polls, ask questions, and reply to other people\u2019s posts. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to the posts you schedule in advance, set aside a little time throughout the week to go onto the social media platforms and look for opportunities to interact with people. Retweet a post you really like with your own commentary, or reply to a poll with results you found surprising. People will care a lot more about you on social media if you devote just a little time to actually being social. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>9. Use (good) images.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could craft a line that\u2019s as brilliant as anything written by Mark Twain but, when people are scrolling through their social media feeds, they\u2019ll scroll right past it if it\u2019s nothing but text. Images are one of the most important tools you have to stand out on social media and get people\u2019s attention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, images are pretty much the entire point of the platform, so you better make them good. But even on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, they make a big difference to how likely people are to stop and read your post and click through. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.convinceandconvert.com\/social-media-strategy\/double-social-engagement-with-images\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tweets with images <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">receive 35% more retweets, and Facebook posts get 37% more engagement when they include an image. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As much as possible, include images with your social media updates. And try to make sure they\u2019re good ones. Stock photography is easy, but it doesn\u2019t work as well as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/need-professional-photos-business-website\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">using original images<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if you can make it work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>10. Invest in social advertising.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t have a budget to give to your social media efforts, this option will be out of reach. But if you can afford to spend a little money, you can make your social media efforts go further faster by using <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/best-social-ppc-platforms-for-your-business\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">social advertising<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media platforms offer valuable targeting options that help you get your account in front of the right people faster. You can use ads to grow your followers so that your unpaid social updates will begin to be seen by a much larger audience. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For small businesses just starting out on social media in particular, social media advertising can give you the initial boost you need to start getting more traction and engagement on the platform. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>11. Keep an eye on your analytics.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media platforms typically provide analytics both for all your updates on the platform, and for any advertising you do. In addition, your website analytics provide valuable information on how often people are coming to your website through social media channels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At least once a month, do a review of all the analytics you have to better understand how your social media efforts are doing. Pay particular attention to the types of updates that are getting good engagement (shares, follows, replies) and driving traffic back to your website. Use this information to tweak your social media strategy as needed to improve your results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 Tips to Integrate Social Media with Your Overall Online Marketing<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media marketing works best if you treat it as a part of your larger small business online marketing strategy. To make sure social media supports your other efforts (and vice versa), there are a few extra steps to take.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>1. Add links to your social media channels on your homepage.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a quick and easy way to let your website visitors know where they can find you on social media. Add a few icons to the bottom of the page with links back to your social profiles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>2. Add social share buttons to your website.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your content will go a lot further if &nbsp;your readers help you share it. You want to make it as easy as possible for every visitor to your website that likes your content to share it with their own networks. Install a social sharing plug-in that allows your visitors to share your stories with one simple click.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21026\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/share-a-link-on-twitter.png\" alt=\"share a link on twitter\" width=\"506\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/share-a-link-on-twitter.png 506w, https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/share-a-link-on-twitter-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 506px) 100vw, 506px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>3. Promote your email list on social.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media followers are nice, but email subscribers are even better. As you work to grow your social media following, you can accomplish two goals at once by also using your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/grow-email-list-social-media\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">social media efforts to grow your email list<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>4<\/b>. Promote your social channels to your email list.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your email subscribers are people you already know like your brand and want to hear from you, so they\u2019re some of the best people to promote your social media profiles to. In the same way that you can use social media to build your email list, you can include links to your social profiles in your emails to help grow your social media followings. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>5. Share your promotions and sales on social media.<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of the day, all your marketing should lead back to sales. You definitely don\u2019t want a majority of your social updates to be promotional, but any time you\u2019re offering a good discount or an attractive sale, your followers will want to know. As long as you don\u2019t overdo it, you can use social media to promote your deals and special offers to increase your sales. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social Media Doesn\u2019t Have to Be a Waste of Time<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As long as you\u2019re strategic and stick with tactics that are efficient, you can start getting real results from social media without spending hours a day. And as you go, make sure to continually analyze your efforts to see what\u2019s working best. If a channel is taking more time than it\u2019s worth, it\u2019s okay to cut it and focus more of your efforts on the platforms that are working for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There aren\u2019t clear rules for using social media for small business, it\u2019s just what works for you. Figure out the approach that makes the most sense based on your unique audience and the time and resources you have available to you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You know you\u2019re supposed to be on social media-it seems to be recommended in every small business publication you read&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":21557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-and-tricks"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.2 (Yoast SEO v23.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>20 Social Media Quick-Hits for Small Business - HostGator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a small business, you can&#039;t waste time on marketing that doesn&#039;t translate to sales. 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