Branding History
When I worked in corporate marketing for a large, well-known financial company, branding and promoting our services included arming ourselves with brochures, billboards, television ads, and targeted mail to reach our prospective customers. It involved time, energy, people, and money – and lots of it.
We were not intimidated by start-up companies back then because they did not have the capital to invest in expensive marketing campaigns. However, today’s marketing landscape has changed, especially with social media. By 2028, over 331 million people in the United States alone will be using it. LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have leveled the playing field for start-up companies who want to be noticed and generate business.
Read more on how your start-up business can establish its branding by using social media.
Introduce Yourself and Your Business
We’ve all gotta start somewhere, right? Social media is a cost-effective (i.e., free) tool that connects you with millions of people. You can set up a profile in five minutes or less. Lean on free how-to videos and articles inside the platform to increase engagement and build a following. YouTube is a great resource, too!
Once you are all set up, introduce yourself and your business. Potential customers want to know why you are in business. Share how your product or service is different from the competition. Be prepared, but also be authentic with your audience about your company’s purpose.
Growing businesses that need customers also need to be on social media. Initial posts will showcase your company logo and colors. You can share your website to drive traffic to your products and services – or even how to call or email you.
Social Media Connects Your Biz with Your Ideal Customer
As you developed your business plan before launch, you had a vision of what your ideal customer looked like. This included several key demographics, such as gender, age, education level, and average income.
Review those demographics one more time. Which social media platform does your ideal customer spend most of their time on? They most likely use more than one social media platform. If your audience skews older and more mature, consider Facebook. If the audience skews younger, use Instagram and/or TikTok. If you offer a professional service/product that a business would buy, add LinkedIn to the mix. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recommends that a small business focus on one to three platforms and post consistent content to those platforms. If time or money is limited, start with one platform and do it really well.
Relevant hashtags and keywords that your ideal customer understands or searches for inside social media will connect you with your audience. For example, TikTok shows the number of posts and views for many small business hashtags at tiktokhashtags.com.
Influencers Can Help Build Your Brand and Following
It takes time to build followers on Instagram and connections on LinkedIn. While you grow your social media connections, utilize the power of influencers. They have been on social media for years and already have a loyal following.
No, we are not talking about any of the Kardashians here. Micro-influencers have small but mighty followings ranging anywhere from 10K to 100K. According to Later.com, a popular social media scheduler, micro-influencers are approachable and trustworthy. Their followers listen to them. Identify a micro-influencer you respect and trust using popular hashtags for your product or service. Yes, they will receive some form of compensation, but their reach is large in a short amount of time.
While you may not use a micro-influencer right away, consider it as a possible strategy once you feel comfortable on social media.
Does social media seem overwhelming to your start-up business? It doesn’t have to be that way! Virtual Professional Solutions can talk to you about your brand and how to make sense of the various social media platforms. Schedule a free 20-Minute discovery call with Cindy today.
