Every businessman worth his salt knows that social media for small business is never an overnight success. Contrary to popular belief, there is no magic social media wand where one racks in the dough straightaway. Done right, social media for small business can be low cost but high in revenue. The first great social media strategy starts with giving it to a pro to do. Trust me; this is no job for your office junior.
Small businesses tend to have very limited resources, but that is no reason to save a few and have do-it-yourself social media. Quite like a personal and business entity, social media application should be approached in a different manner. Just like not all social media platforms are the same. You would have to decide which one would benefit your business best.
Facebook
Social media connects you to your most valuable asset, your customers. Facebook is where most of them will be because at the end of the day, most people would like to know what’s been happening to their families, friends and locality. But Facebook as a social media platform for small business need other networks and in itself cannot stand alone. Posts and content need to have some leeway in the sense that it should not be too sales driven nor preachy. There must exist a balance in selling and a judgement call on what is engaging at the same time retain the image you would like your business to be
MAN LAW BBQ Australia
https://www.facebook.com/ManLawBbqAustralia
An Aussie franchise of the American Man Law Premium BBQ tools – Focus on what is manly and outdoorsy. Visual engagement for strong and bold posts, sometimes poking fun at the idiosyncrasies particular to the gender with the notion that all true BBQ masters live by an unwritten list of rules that would then be called Man Law.
Rusty Mutt
https://www.facebook.com/Rusty.Mutt.Wines
A boutique wine company producing limited high quality, hand made wines from McLaren Vale. Facebook posts mainly highlights wine, fun with wine, drinking quirks and the love of wine. Virality of posts vary but most engagements are from the men. Love for family and love of the vine. Here’s to wine.
The Laser Diva
https://www.facebook.com/TheLaserDiva
Offering such services as Laser Hair Removal, Laser Tattoo Removal, Laser Skin Rejuvenation and teeth whitening, The Laser Diva promotes self care as not mere vanity but a necessity, that ultimately self love becomes the basis to other forms of love. The social media objective to promote self care and their offered services around Rozelle, Balmain, Drummoyne, Leichhardt and Lillyfield.
Bondi Chai
https://www.facebook.com/bondichai
Bondi Chai is Australia’s most awarded chai latte and is the 2014 Telstra Australian business awards NSW winner. Facebook solidifies the total impact of their social media platforms by interacting with their affiliates, fans and distributors. They are also active on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
My Presentation Doctor
https://www.facebook.com/MyPresentationDoctor
As a coach and communication skills expert, Dr. Gary Wohlman is dedicated in maximising the impact and effectiveness of professional and developing speakers to enhance their gifts of self-expression and contribute fully in their quality of life. Daily inspiration and reiteration of this self same message is reflected on posts both on Facebook and Twitter. He is also presently active on Instagram.
Bead Them Up
https://www.facebook.com/BeadThemUp
Bead them up offers only beads that the owners themselves would be interested in. Specialising in sterling silver, gemstones and beads to make jewellery, Bead Them Up also offers free beading classes. Posts highlights on colourful products, specials and light hearted teasing of beaders and hobbyists/crafters. You can find them also on Instagram and Pinterest.
Instagram
When parents and even grandparents came onto the Facebook scene, the now generation had to go somewhere their elders would not be able to embarrass them, cannot do that on Twitter, Twitter is too limited and the oldies know about that too. In comes the new kid on the block, Instagram. With the concept of sharing photos and moments, with the additional appeal that it’s purely a young adult space,instagram quickly became populated with this upwardly mobile adults thus creating a ready made marketing segment for products and services to target.
The Make-Up Studio
http://instagram.com/themakeupstudiosydney/
Maria, the genius behind The Make-Up Studio offers professional make up as a group or one on one and make up courses to those interested to learn the craft. Instagram is a terrific avenue to showcase the different looks and drama of how make up highlights the face.
Cuttaway Hill Wines
http://instagram.com/cuttawayhill
The Bourne family owned Cuttaway Hill Wines located near MIttagong and Bowral, their wines are made from grapes grown in the Southern Highlands with unique character notes that is truly a taste of the Southern Highlands. Their Instagram features the land, loves and life of this proud brand.
Dcider Cider
http://instagram.com/dcider
Made from delightful Pink Ladies premium apples from Batlow, Dcider is the brainchild of Jeff Aston. Given many great reviews it has since spawned pear and honey ciders all getting to be popular to the people of Southern Highlands. Their instagram boasts of parties and images associated with great taste and good times with the invitation to be the Dcider.
Tractorless Wine
http://instagram.com/tractorlesswine
Tractorless vineyard brags combining a combination of old world knowledge and skills with new world winemaking techniques all guided by Biodynamic principles. They aim to provide a more long term sustainably balanced and diverse farming system that can continue to produce award winning wines. They make use of instagram highlighting their innovations and how intensely they feel about their land and way of life.
Eling Forest Cellar Door
http://instagram.com/elingforestcellardoor
Home to Dcider, Tractorless Wine and Cuttaway Hill, it is the gourmet destination on Hume Highway. Eling Forest Winery is in the heart of the Southern Highlands of NSW that has a working winery, cellar door, cafe, function centre and boutique accommodation. Instagram provides the visual proof of the love of family, land and just how much hard work is involved in making wine.
Sydney Heaters and Pizza Ovens
http://instagram.com/sydneyheatersandpizzaovens
Sydney Heaters have been in business for over 25 years. At present they have more than a dozen accreditations and affiliations and is the NSW distributor to Euro Fireplaces, Alfresco Wood Fired Ovens, Eco Choice Fires and Vio Flame and Firefox industries. Their Instagram is a gastronomic feast for the eyes of pizza, food and did I mention pizza?
Twitter
It’s short, it’s succinct, it’s Twitter. Twitter is the online social network that requires you to send your news and updates in 140-characters or less. The importance of twitter in social media for small business especially is in their search function. Unlike Facebook that would direct you to a page (the wrong one most often) twitters search function gives suggestions that would rival that of google within the twitterverse. Oh, and have you heard? Facebook is for the people you know, Twitter is for the people you wish you knew!
NTP Health Products
https://twitter.com/ntphealth
NTP Health Products believes in natural health and beauty. They import and distribute the very best, cutting edge, health food, herbal products, nutritional supplements, hair care, skin care and natural cosmetics. Tweets are concentrated on general and natural ways of being healthy, a product in focus as well as health related news and developments.
Organic Colour Systems
https://twitter.com/organiccolour
Organic Colour Systems is a range of professional hair colouring and treatment products available to professional hairdressers and hair salons only. It is free from ammonia, resorcinol and parabens and is proudly cruelty-free. A guilt-free, worry-free way to be beautiful, OCS uses Twitter to educate the public of the cleaner alternative to staying pretty. Everybody wants to be beautiful but not at the price of their health.
Teeccino Australia
https://twitter.com/teeccinoAUS
Teeccino is a delicious coffee alternative that is completely caffeine-free. It has all the goodness of coffee without the jitters and health consequences. Teeccino employs twitter in disseminating the health risks brought about by having too much caffeine. Teeccino also encourages coffee lovers to continue enjoying their coffee ritual without the caffeine hit.
Belmondo Boxers
https://twitter.com/belmondoboxers
Belmondo introduced their colourful boxers in 2006 after first offering ties in 2000 which they had packaged in boxes with lids the same patterns as the ties and they kept that packaging format for their boxers. Twitterverse helps send the bright colours of Belmondo be seen by the online public because ‘there’s a pattern for every personality’
Pinterest
Pinterest is a catch all from recipes to crafts to lifestyle and favourite things. Naturally, almost everybody would be on it which is why it is a very good reason to include this in your roster of social media for small business.
Pinterest clients include Bead Them Up, Bondi Chai and Sydney Heaters and Pizza Ovens.