Start 2024 off with a blast! Put More Focus into Your Social Media
So you want to start using social media more and marketing your Florida brand through the various platforms? You probably see facebook ads showing from “gurus” who claim to have the secret, or telling you that the one platform they specialize in is all you need and buy their subscription to learn more, right! But don’t be fooled. Truthfully, most businesses should be on at least 3 of the top social media platforms regularly. The top are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat and TikTok.
How do you go about using these social media platforms for marketing your Florida Business?
First, choose the platforms that are most important to you and start posting regularly.
Engage 3 times a day minimum… like, comment, follow, message, and be active.
Consider running a social media marketing campaign to boost one of your posts and drive more viewers to see you.
How do you determine which social media platforms you should focus on for your Florida business?
Know Your Local Audience
The Pew Research Center put out this great graphic of usage on the various platforms by demographic. Stay on top of these types of surveys and data each year so you can be sure to put your time and/or money where it will be most cost effective for the audience you are trying to reach.
Here’s a Breakdown of Each Social Media Platform
Be sure to assess your resources and time management before jumping on board with too many. Don’t start running social media instead of your business! And consider outside help from an expert.
Who doesn’t have a facebook account? Ok, I’m sure that there are people who don’t, but the most recent stats shows that 3 billion people do. And Florida is one of the top states for number of people on Facebook. (see graph) This is a big audience if you can get in front of them.
Audience for Florida Businesses
Facebook has a vast audience and opportunities to join communities and build connections with local Floridians and those in your niche. Every business should have a Facebook presence and post at least once per week.
How to Use for Your Florida Business
- Create a business page with a compelling profile and cover photo.
- Share a mix of curated and original content, including images, videos, and articles.
- Post every article you write for your website or as a guest blogger on another website.
- Share tips and information about your company.
- Share curated content that might be interesting to your followers.
- Join groups that you have interest in and business groups related to your industry or business in general.
- Utilize Facebook Ads to target specific demographics and reach a wider audience.
Keep in mind that Facebook’s new algorithms are projected to only show your posts to less then 1% of your followers. There are 2 solutions to reach more people on Facebook. First, post more often, 5-8 times a day is recommended. However, for those who select to prioritize you, they may see more than they want. So be sure to post some unique fun stuff throughout the day for multiple posts.
YouTube
#1 for a reason. Everyone loves videos. So what does this tell you? Add video content to youtube and share on other social media and your website.
Audience for Florida Businesses
YouTube is best for businesses who have the resources or know-how to create good videos. It is better to skip YouTube, than to post a poorly executed video that will make your business look bad.
I believe every business should be creating videos and posting to Youtube but I also understand the challenges to budget in good content.
How to Use for Your Florida Business
- Create a branded YouTube channel with a compelling profile and cover image.
- Upload high-quality, informative videos related to your industry.
- Optimize video titles, descriptions, and tags for search visibility.
What you create and share depends on your business type. How-to videos, a promo video about your company or you, an interview with your people or your clients.
YouTube is a place where you should be creating content. And it’s another Google owned property that helps google rank you.
Tiktok
TikTok’s explosive growth to over 1 billion users and its unique features make it a potent tool for businesses looking to diversify their social media strategy.
Audience for Florida Businesses
TikTok thrives on authenticity and creativity. Users appreciate genuine, unfiltered content, making it an ideal platform for businesses to showcase their human side. While the majority of users are Gen Z and Millennials, more people in the older generations are starting to embrace it.
How to Use for Your Florida Business
- Embrace Short-form video content and condense your message into concise and engaging videos.
- Create authentic and relatable content that aligns with your brand identity.
- Tell your brand story creatively within the time constraints.
- Participate in trending challenges and use popular sounds to increase discoverability.
- Identify relevant influencers in your niche and reach out for collaborations. Allow influencers creative freedom to authentically represent your brand.
- Engage with users and respond promptly to comments. Encourage users to share their experiences with your products or services.
- Research trending hashtags in your industry and incorporate them into your content.
By embracing the platform’s youthful energy, prioritizing creativity, and engaging authentically with the audience, businesses can ride the TikTok wave to enhance brand visibility, connect with younger demographics, and stay at the forefront of the ever-evolving social media landscape.
LinkedIn is the top business to business social network and offers a place to showcase your business to other businesses and professionals who might need what you have to offer.
Audience for Florida Businesses
Best for reaching business professionals and B2B audiences. LinkedIn is a great place to promote what you are working on in your business and to find others who may need your products or services.
How to Use for Your Florida Business
- Create a detailed company profile with a professional logo and banner.
- Share industry insights, thought leadership articles, and updates about your company.
- Be professionally personal, meaning share lots of information about who you are as a professional in your field. Share your skills, special talents, and uniqueness.
- Share information about your Florida location because people look for other professionals close in proximity to them.
- Participate in relevant LinkedIn Groups to connect with industry peers.
You’d be surprised how many people are using Linkedin to search for businesses these days. I hear a lot of people complain about the shear number of messages they get on LinkedIn from other professionals trying to sell them something. I get hundreds every week myself. But here’s the thing about that, I actually find more people to work with through LinkedIn then any other source.
Instagram is my favorite because I have always been a photographer at heart, who isn’t? And like so many others, I love to see great images and learn about a business through the visual story-telling. Instagram now has over 2 billion users and is growing fast for businesses and ad reach. But it does have some limitations.
Audience for Florida Businesses
Instagram is ideal for businesses with visually appealing products or services, or influencers who are looking to grow in a particular niche.
How to Use for Your Florida Business
- Curate a visually consistent Instagram feed with high-quality images and engaging captions.
- Use Instagram Stories and Reels for behind-the-scenes content and quick updates.
- Showcase uniqueness and personality. No one wants to see just a bunch of pictures of the eyeglasses you sell, or services or specials posted in their feed. But, if you show fun pictures of your glasses on your customers, or add tips for eye care with a fun graphic, people may stop scrolling to look at your post.
- Research and use hashtags to increase discoverability.
With so many users and businesses on Instagram, it is important to think outside the box and build your Instagram with personality. The idea is to build your company’s personality through visual storytelling.
X (formerly Twitter)
Most people use twitter as a source of news; to follow a celebrity, athlete, politician or other public figure; or to follow your favorite restaurant or shopping locale to keep an eye out for great deals.
Audience for Florida Businesses
Suited for businesses whose audience thrives on real-time updates and engagement.
How to Use for Your Florida Business
- Tweet regularly with a mix of content.
- Share Industry news that you created or retweet from another source. The idea is to share it with your followers to keep them updated in your niche.
- Share promotions, events, and flash sales.
- Post article links to your website to share your latest blog posts.
- Retweet anything that might be of interest to your followers.
- Engage with followers through replies, retweets, and likes.
- Utilize Twitter Lists to organize and follow relevant industry accounts.
X seems to have become a place where people follow influencers, news, and businesses that align with their beliefs. Use that knowledge to reach your target audience.
Who knew? Pinterest for business is quite popular. It is a great platform to showcase graphical images of what you do.
Audience for Florida Businesses
Ideal for businesses with visually appealing and shareable products or services. However, any business can connect with good info graphics, and sharing graphics from informative articles on your website.
How to Use for Your Florida Business
- Create visually stunning pins that link back to your website or blog.
- Create infographs about things you know, things your business does, and tips for your clients. For example, if you provide pool service, a top 10 infograph on “how to keep your pool clean between visits” will bring in followers and views.
- Utilize Pinterest boards to categorize and organize content.
- Use keyword-rich descriptions for improved discoverability.
Note that there are more women than men using Pinterest, so consider that when creating.
Snapchat
For all of you who are not under the age of 30, you may be thinking, What? Snapchat for business? Snapchat has become extremely popular and is replacing some other forms of media among friends who share information. And those who use snapchat love to follow businesses who engage and create content that they are interested in.
Audience for Florida Businesses
Predominantly younger users, with a significant presence among teens and young adults.
How to Use for Your Florida Business
- Share behind-the-scenes content, limited-time promotions, or sneak peeks to entice your audience.
- Create a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to drive engagement.
- Plan and create Snap Stories that tell a compelling narrative about your brand or highlight special occasions.
- Use geofilters and location-based stickers to add context to your stories.
- Develop branded AR lenses or filters that align with your brand personality. Encourage users to share their experiences using your filters, amplifying brand visibility.
- Collaborate with influencers or create engaging content to feature on Discover.
- Respond promptly to customer inquiries and use chat for personalized interactions.
Snapchat is a great place to be if you have time and something exciting to showcase. With an emphasis on visual storytelling, ephemeral content, and interactive features makes it a valuable platform for businesses aiming to connect with younger audiences in a creative and dynamic way.
Now that you have a basic summary of the various platforms, its important to choose the ones you can maintain, keep up with and connect with your ideal audience. A strategic presence across multiple platforms can amplify your brand’s reach and engagement and can build your online presence. Remember that quality, engagement, consistency and authenticity are key to building a strong social media presence for your business and choosing the right platforms to represent your brand is essential to your growth.
