The fact that social media continues to change the way people communicate isn’t new information. The statistics and information that support the way people use social media continues to roll in. Currently there are 1.65 billion active mobile social accounts globally with 1 million new active mobile social users added every day.

Customers often research purchases online and seek recommendations from friends and family, and more often than not they solicit these recommendations from connections on social media.

This means social media is an increasingly important tool for small businesses. Friends and family are there, reviews of a product are there, and your brand should be there too. For this reason alone, having a social media presence is important.

If that isn’t enough to convince you, here are some other important stats about social media usage. 96% of the people that discuss brands online do not follow those brands’ profiles. Customer service also matters on social; 71% of consumers who have had a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others.

A brand who is active on social media can see a huge return on investment. From building awareness with new customers to maintaining relationships with existing clients, social media is a great platform for a brand to grow.

While all of this sounds great, it doesn’t change the fact that the world of social media can be overwhelming. Adding the fact that your business may be strapped for funds, time, and/or manpower means entering the social media world with a game plan is hugely important.

Here are a few effective social media marketing tips to keep in mind as you begin to navigate the world of social media:

Quality is Important

Social media is an important space to engage first and market second. Focusing on a handful of quality posts that carry value, relevance and importance for your audience is a better strategy than quantity. Clicking and posting rapidly might check the box of social media presence but it likely won’t produce very much engagement.

Focus on Community

The main thing to remember if you’re one of the many companies that need social media help is that businesses don’t build communities, people do. However businesses can certainly foster a community. That means it’s your job to continuously listen to what users are saying and then improve and exceed customer expectations.

As a small business, your audience is likely out in the same community that you operate in which can help you become more relatable to your audience. Really, the key with social media is word of mouth, relationships, credibility, and brand love.

Consider Advertising

You’ve spent the time to build a presence on social media and you are posting quality, engaging content for your audience the natural next step might be spending some money. From Google Adwords to try and improve search engine optimization (SEO) for your website, to a lead generating advertisement on Facebook, there are a plethora of opportunities that can be very targeted to your audience. There are also a variety of Facebook ads that you can use to boost your reach, grow your audience, and promote your content.

Repeat

Make sure to track your efforts and then focus on what works and repeat it. Growing and adopting should come down the line but just like with your business, focus on what you’re good at and maintain that. As social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn roll out new capabilities evaluate what makes sense for your business and audience and experiment one by one.

There are plenty of tools and resources online to help your small business elevate and be present on social media, but most of all be patient while learning what works for your business on social media.

What other tips do you have for getting started with social media? Be sure to share them below!