Sharing and Caring

Social media has been a wonderful thing for small businesses - leveling the playing field and making it easy and affordable for brands to connect with their customers globally. But as the years go by, the challenge of finding followers, managing a growing number of accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Snapchat - the list goes on ...), and delivering such valuable content has become increasingly difficult. Consumers are flooded with options, and are looking for a brand that does not use social to talk * to * them but to talk to them.

Now a day’s Custom Boxes don’t use That's where your social strategy has a chance to really shine. So from our small business to yours, here are the tips and tricks we have collected along the way that have helped us bring together relevant followers, better understand our customers and create content they really like.

 1. Earn interest by showing interest

Set aside one hour each day to engage socially with your target customers. Like and comment on Instagram photos that relate to your brand, join relevant groups of Facebook and LinkedIn and start sharing content and advice that position you and your company as a reliable and useful resource. Not only will customers appreciate the authentic and human approach, but they will be able to gain a deeper insight into what they want from your product or service.

You can even undermine these relevant keyword clusters and discover gaps in the market that your business may be able to help fill. Even something as simple as a "how" can inspire a potential customer to take a look at their business and learn more - take it a step further and try to engage in real conversations and forums.

2. Do not bite more channels than you can chew

While it is always smart to open social accounts with your company name as soon as possible, it may not be smart to try publishing them on all of them right away. Be honest with yourself about the amount of time and labor you can put behind each account - if you do not think you can contribute regularly to all of them, then pick the social channels that you think the best show your brand. Our recommendation? Start with the big 3: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If your company offers a B2B service or product, launch LinkedIn into the mix as well. Regular posting is crucial - on a daily basis, if possible - otherwise, you run the risk of losing followers. Also, as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life so try to publish a sound mix of video, mesh posts, images, and gifts.

 3. Share the opinions of your customers

It can be frightening to open your business up to criticism, but gathering and sharing customer feedback is one of the best ways to gain confidence and generate word of mouth. Try to put them on top of your feed from time to time, interview previous customers for your blog or Facebook, and consider having a social aggregator on your product pages for people to share how they used your product or service.

According to Michael Fertik, 89% of consumers view online reviews as reliable and 63% of customers are more likely to buy a product from a site if they have product ratings and reviews. In other words, the more positive experiences you can share online, the sooner your business can increase your reputation * and * your income.

4. Treat them with social offers only

These are not new followers: Keep your present happy by receiving special promotions, sales and gifts only through your social channels. If you decide on a contest or a raffle, have a piece of branded content or taste / follow an additional social account one of the requirements to enter. Keep it simple though - too many barriers to entry will have people falling quickly.