Many small businesses constantly look for effective ways to engage their audiences and keep them in the know. Fortunately, in the digital age, there is no shortage of ways for businesses to interact with regular patrons while winning over new customers in the process. So, if you never earnestly attempted to keep your audience engaged — or previous attempts proved largely unsuccessful — do not throw in the towel just yet. As you find, there are several convenient vehicles through which to reach your target audience.
Be Active on Social Media
No small business in pursuit of success in the digital age affords to overlook social media. Over the past decade, the web’s most prominent social platforms are invaluable marketing tools for businesses of all sizes. From locally-focused small businesses to international conglomerates, social media outlets provide businesses with effective paths to build brand awareness and keep followers informed.
So, if your business invested little to no effort into social media marketing, now is the perfect time to start. Create business accounts on such social media mainstays as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Then, update your various accounts on a daily basis. Of course, the exact number of posts to make per day depends on the platform. For example, while one or two daily posts are sufficient for Facebook, one to five are ideal for Twitter. Furthermore, through trial and error, you determine the opportune times of day to post new content on the assorted social platforms.
To engage your audience, create posts that encourage both sharing and feedback. This helps your followers feel more connected to your brand. The stronger their connection to your brand, the more likely they offer their continued support.
Sometimes, neither you nor any of your team members have the time or inclination to consistently update and/or monitor your business’s social media accounts. If this is the case, consider bringing a dedicated social media manager aboard. As the title suggests, it is this person’s job to post new updates, keep an eye on engagement rates, and interact with followers on behalf of your brand.
Utilize Automatic Text Messaging
Automated text messaging is a great way to keep customers informed. Sending out text to patrons encourages that they remain in the loop. For example, whenever there is an event you wish to promote, changes in your hours of operation or alterations in pricing. So, if your business currently lacks high-quality automated text messaging software, don’t hesitate to start exploring your options.
Produce New Web Content on a Consistent Basis
Producing new web content on a consistent basis benefits your business in two important ways. First, since search engines factor in update frequency when determining results, regular content serves to boost your site’s search ranking. This in turn, increases your brand’s visibility. Secondly, producing fresh content is an effective way to keep your target audience interested and coming back for more. For example, if you post new content on specific weekdays, your target audience has incentive to continually check back.
When setting out to create engaging content, take the interests of your target audience into account. After all, if they are unable to relate to your content, they are not inclined to check in on a regular basis. Make a point of incorporating keywords that pertain to your business, its locale, and your target audience. However, avoid keyword stuffing, as this possibly lands you in trouble with certain search engines. Additionally, this compromises the overall quality of your content. If neither you nor anyone on your staff are adept at crafting fresh web content, consider farming this task out to seasoned writers.
Communicating with current and prospective patrons is priority for every small business. Unsurprisingly, the more effective you are at communicating, the more responsive your intended audience is. However, not every enterprise is equally skilled at keeping their customer base in the know. So, if your preferred methods of customer communication leave a lot to be desired, there is no time like the present to step things up.
