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Coming up with fresh content day in and day out can be a daunting task for anyone let alone professionals.  As small business owners work hard at finding customers, generating buzz, and managing their workflow, I can guess the last thing they’re probably thinking about is their social media presence.  Like it or not, for today’s entrepreneurs, a social media presence should be top of mind.  However, keeping up with the fast pace of trending topics on various old and new platforms can be a challenge.  Below are the common pain points of conquering social media marketing for small businesses.   However, don’t fear! I also share tips for solving them.

Common Pain Points

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First, let’s talk about some common social media challenges for businesses but especially for small business owners.  They include but are not limited to:  

• Lack of relevant content
  • Audiences are looking to be informed and entertained while doing so.  Finding the right combination of the two is not easy but it is worth it.  “Almost 45% of marketers say content marketing is an essential part of their marketing strategy.” (Perricone, 2023) Once we learn and understand more about our target audience, the easier it may be to create content to engage them with.  The content can be blogs, videos, podcasts, or memes.  The audience will be the guide.
• Time Management
  • It often feels as if there is not enough time in the day to do all the things on a to do list.  This feeling may be heightened as a small business owner.  With a small business comes a small team and the reality is that sometimes, that is only a team of one.  With trying to drum up business, working with vendors, and simply getting the business off the ground, it is difficult to devote a few hours a week to being consistent, creating, and responding to social media content.  (Rogozinsky, 2022)
• Multi-Channel Presence
  • Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube- there are many social media platforms to choose from with more appearing every year.  Needless to say, working with a multiple of platforms can be a juggling act.  Not only finding time to post, but from choosing one to creating enough content for all the platforms you’re on with not leave one behind is a question many marketers must solve for. 

Easing the Pain

The good news is there are ways to combat these challenges and come out on top.  The key is finding the right tools and strategies to make managing social media easier.

• @HootSuite is a great tool to help with time management and scheduling posts on various platforms.  This way you can plan posts ahead of time and schedule them to drop when you want to and when most of your target audience is looking for content.
• Set clear SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals at the outset of any social media campaign to start on the road to success effectively.  SMART goals can include increased brand awareness, engage more with customers, or generate more sales and leads.  It is important to note that without goals, it is difficult to know how well your campaign is performing.  (O’Connor, 2018).  @Hootsuite analytics can play a role here too by helping you analyze how posts are performing and helping to ensure the campaign is achieving its SMART goals.
• Of all your channels, find the platform where you’re most effective and can be consistent in reaching your target audience and focus your efforts there. “It all comes down to your audience.  Who is your audience, and where do they spend their time on social media?” (Forsey, 2021). 

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Remember The Benefits!

When all else fails, remember that the rewards for small businesses using social media for marketing makes the work worth it.  It increases traffic, spreads the word of a brand’s product and services with the goal of increasing revenue.   Founder and CEO of Zen Media, Shama Hyder’s Twitter post outlines the benefits perfectly – which can include:  

• Increased visibility
• Brand Awareness
• Customer Loyalty

When thinking of social media marketing, remember what engaging with your audience would mean to your business.  Being able to respond to your audience questions, provide feedback, and see what they’re saying about your brand is invaluable and can lead to improved products and services as well as increased customer loyalty.  The above tips may not take away all of the rainy days, but it can make your social media campaign easier to handle. 

Do you agree with this list?  What tools of the trade have you learned navigating social media for your business?  Join the discussion and let us know in the comments!

Category: Social Media Marketing 101