When it comes to marketing your business, social media is quite a valuable tool. This is especially true for small businesses that aim to be recognised and build a brand voice.

Check out these 4 tactics that can help you make the most of your social media channels and drive more sales:

1. The Main Focus Shouldn’t be Making Sales

It might seem counterproductive since the aim of having social media accounts is to drive sales but you shouldn’t forget that the main purpose of social media is to connect and socialise with others. Many people will be discouraged to follow you if you post only promotional content.

You should be focusing on establishing relationships with your clients and offering them meaningful content, for example, posts about your staff, ethics and what inspired you to start your business.

2. Knowing Who You’re Publishing Content for

This can’t be stressed enough. Knowing your target audience and delivering content they want is crucial for any social media campaign. You need to establish what your ideal customer looks like and what kind of people your business attracts, so you can then use this knowledge to win their trust and loyalty.

Also, you need to make sure you know which social media platforms your potential customers use the most and focus on those channels. Don’t overwhelm your marketing team by building multiple social media accounts but research, which are the best social media platforms for your business.

Currently, statistics show that Instagram is best for social media marketing because of its visual appeal. However, if your target audience is generally above the age of 35 and you don’t have visual assets, Instagram wouldn’t be the best platform for your business.

3. Paid Ads

As much as we would like to, posting on social media constantly and consistently just isn’t enough anymore. Nowadays, it’s a lot harder to stand out since many businesses have made the move to marketing on social media.

With paid ad campaigns, you won’t have to look for your potential customers or fight for them with your competitors. By leveraging social media ads, your business will be right in front of your potential customers and ultimately drive more sales.

Whilst all social media platforms offers ad services, Facebook is known to have the most extensive targeting tools and is most promising when it comes to successful campaigns.

4. Look Back on Your Past Campaigns and Social Media Posts

The biggest mistake you can make is creating a content calendar and leave it as it is without tweaking or updating it regularly. Sadly, social media algorithms change all the time and you need to be in the loop constantly or else you will get lost in the crowd.

One a month has passed since you have initiated your content calendar and paid ad campaigns, it is best to research into how well they’ve done and acknowledge where and when your posts and campaigns haven’t done so well. You can do this by looking at your social media analytics and insights.

Has your last campaign not generated as many click-throughs as compared to other months? Pause it and try something different. The best advice is not to get stuck on one idea but to make sure you have a consistent flow of ideas and try your best to reach your audience.