Between managing employees and weighing financial options like working capital loans, business owners certainly have a lot on their plates. However, one more thing has been added to the list of small business considerations in recent years: social media.
In fact, a study from Manta showed that more small businesses were focused on investing in social media than were looking to expand their workforce.
“As a highly pragmatic and time-constrained group, small business owners are strategically adopting platforms that show real results for their business,” Manta CEO Pamela Springer said in a press release. “However, social media is not a stationary phenomenon. As [small to medium sized businesses] shift from the experimental stage to a results-focused phase, their social media usage will evolve to maximize the value.”
However, with so many options available, figuring out which social media outlets to focus on can be easier said than done. Each social media platform comes with its own pros and cons for marketing purposes, and small business owners aren’t exactly in a position to dedicate hours of research to the topic.
Time to make some friend requests
At least one study makes the case that Facebook is the clear choice for small businesses. G/O Digital recently reported 80 percent of survey respondents said they check reviews online at least once per week before shopping in a store. Among the sites used to check reviews, Facebook led at 68 percent. To put that into comparison, Twitter and Pinterest only accounted for 11 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
“Very few businesses have the capacity to drive this level of nationwide scale with small businesses, so the most bang-for-your-buck way for many small businesses to drive in-store activity (and sales) through social marketing in the short term is going to be Facebook,” G/O Digital CMO Jeff Fagel stated. “Pinterest and Twitter should definitely have a place in their larger social marketing strategy, but will serve different purposes and support different objectives.”
Numerous factors will play a role in your small businesses marketing efforts. For instance, you’ll need to decide what kind of audience you’re trying to appeal to. Additionally, you might consider whether you want to engage with customers and get them talking to you or use social media as a means to advertise special deals or drive business through giveaways and sales.
However, recent research would seem to indicate that Facebook may be the best place for small business owners to start.
