There is no doubt that social media platforms have become viable marketing partners for small businesses. The scope and creative insight that social media provides is exactly what most businesses are looking for in their ideal partners.

“Social media is a communication tool that can strengthen the relationship between a company and its audiences. Often frowned upon by other departments looking for a clear-cut ROI, social media provides that intrinsic value that customers are looking for” (Marketing In Color).

It’s common knowledge that making the most of social media requires time, effort and a greater understanding of how to use social media to your benefit. While tough to handle, especially without the luxury of a social media specialist, social media is undeniably the way forward. When you’re ready to reap the benefits of online marketing, a social strategy could very well be your best option.

Various social media analytics tools can give you unprecedented access to data which will help you determine where your social media presence is and the opportunity at your fingertips. Gaining analytical insight will allow you to use your social media to its maximum potential.

Taking Creative Risks

With social media, like any good business partner, the most important attribute is loyalty. Growth potential and millions of followers may very well be an ultimate goal, but in reality, acquiring a small number of followers can prove to be more productive.

The truth is: social media marketing can provide great ROI, but it doesn’t always provide immediate value. Like any partnership, you have to consistently invest in it. This an be achieved by targeting small, loyal audiences as opposed to trying to reach the social masses.

Interactive posts or quizzes can engage followers. A charismatic and creative business partner, just like an interactive social media page or site is the perfect space to get creative, especially with the type of content you share.

Create content that engages people. Embrace visual material and strong headlines. Take risks, social media is a partner that will gladly support creative risks and dole out reward. Once you have established connections, you can then seek ways to turn social media engagements into sales, online and offline.

Seeking Social Consistency

A productive and constructive social media marketing plan can not only bolster sales, but improve both your public relations and content marketing efforts by simply engaging. Fostering an online community through clearly defined connections and an active forum for discussion will almost certainly result in more effective marketing activities.

Surveys suggest that by taking simple steps, like reposting content can drive real results. For example, “Guy Kawasaki is known for posting the same content multiple times, and one reason he advocates doing this is to reach your followers in different time zones. He’s found that this increases the traffic to his content, particularly when Tweeting the same link several times,” according to Buffer.

In conjunction with testing images and thought provoking headlines you can engage with followers and ensure they are exposed to your content regularly.

In fact, social media is about consistency. As analytics expert Neil Patel explains, “If you are looking to stand out in the social media world, you don’t have to come up with something unique or creative. You just have to be willing to put in the time.”

Every online marketing strategy should include social media. Using targeted social platforms is a cost effective ways to reach and engage a greater number of people. It’s a strategy that shouldn’t be ignored.

This article has been edited and condensed.

Tamar Shor is the founder and CEO of Wannabiz – the popular small business marketing app. Having lived and worked for years in California, France, Netherlands and Israel Tamar is a marketing veteran with great passion for small businesses everywhere. She is a former McKinsey strategist and holds an MBA from INSEAD. Connect with @Market_like_Pro on Twitter.

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