Social Media Strategies for Small Business | First Bank
Skip to main content
_FB_2018-Icons-finalized-cleaned-up_new_FB_2018-Icons-finalized-cleaned-up_newGroup 9
Back
Scroll to top

Social Media Strategies for Small Business

Running A Business 4 min read
Hands on laptop with graphics showing social media strategy

Ready to talk to an expert?

Today, people spend 27% of their time online on social networks, according to Experian. Businesses use it to build relationships with their existing customers and to increase brand awareness. If you own or work for a small business, social media can be a valuable tool.  

Decide Who You Are

Social media is a great place to humanize your brand. Decide who you want to be and why people should care about you.

If your brand was a person, what would they look like? How would they dress? How would they talk? What would they be interested in?

When you communicate on social media, keep the voice and topics consistent with the character and persona you’ve created for your brand.

Give the People What They Want

If you want to be successful on social media, you need to take off the sales hat. People don’t like to be pitched to.

Don’t use your social media profiles to continually talk about how good your business is and how people need to buy your products and services. No more than one-third of your posts should be self-promoting.

Instead, focus on your industry and anything that your target audience may be interested in beyond your immediate offerings.

For example, imagine that you own a local shoe store. You may feel inclined to post photos of all of your shoes, talk about sales, and tell people to come visit.

Instead, give them what they really want. Share information about local walking groups or trails in your area. Post funny videos of a child strutting his stuff in his brand new Air Jordans. These topics are completely related to your brand and are interesting without coming across as pushy.

Engage and Listen

Creating posts is one thing, but having a conversation is a different kind of interaction. Some posts are going to generate more engagement than others.

When a post starts to gain some traction, make sure you participate. Keep the conversation moving forward. This is where relationships are built.

It won’t take long before you come across negative comments on your posts. Remain calm and address the comments in a positive way, thanking your customer for the feedback and helping them toward a resolution if possible. Resist the urge to ignore, delete, or censor criticisms.

Social media is all about transparency. Staying cool and addressing concerns publicly can do wonders for your brand image.

Choose the Right Tools

This quick summary of social media platforms will help you focus on the tools that are right for your business.

Facebook: The biggest, baddest social network on the block, Facebook is a place to tell stories about your business to a massive audience. While every business is different, it’s a good bet that you and many of your customers spend time here.

Twitter: You can post as much and as often as you want on Twitter—each individual 140-character tweet is like a drop of water in an ever-flowing stream. It’s a fantastic platform for releasing and discussing the latest news, and it may be the first place your customers try to reach you if they’re having a problem with your business.

LinkedIn: This professionally-focused social network can be especially helpful if you’re looking for new employees—or a new business client. You can also post articles in a feed (similar to Facebook) and join groups to connect with those who share professional interests.

Google+: Google’s massive clout on the Internet makes Google+ important to keep an eye on. Because its user base tends to be a bit more selective, you might use your company’s profile to house longer posts and “behind-the-scenes” content about your business. One of the platform’s interesting features is Hangouts, which allow you to host a public live video chat and then post the recording on YouTube.                                                

Pinterest: A popular network among women, Pinterest allows users to create their own “pin boards” of curated images. If you’re targeting women or are in a highly visual industry—think fashion, architecture, fine dining, etc.—Pinterest may be a great way to connect with your customers. 

Instagram: This Facebook-owned platform is all about sharing images and short videos, which can be altered via colored filters. Lo-fi and inexpensive production values can fit here. If you’ve got a consumer-facing brand, Instagram is a place to show off your fun side.

Find the platforms used by your target audience and participate in those communities. It’s a great way to organically grow your following and find new opportunities.

Ready to talk to an expert?

Share:
First Bank’s Good To Know Logo
Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know about new tips, insights, and products from First Bank.
First Bank may use this email address to contact you about products, services, and promotions.

You may be interested in...

Two smiling people looking out towards camera. Top Five Reasons to Offer Employees First@Work Did you know that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck? And only 40% of Americans have sufficient savings to cover a financial emergency of $1000 or more? Imagine the stress that money issues like those might cause, and what that stress can do to employee productivity. According to a study by the American Institute of Stress of over 800,000 workers in over 300 companies, the number of employees calling in sick tripled in a four-year period and an estimated 1 million workers are absent every day due to stress. It doesn’t have to be that way. In order to help alleviate some of that stress, First Bank offers businesses a financial wellness program called First@Work. This program provides them with education and an exclusive suite of products, discounts, and unique services. The top 5 reasons you should offer your employees a First@Work account: It costs you nothing, and you can include it in your list of benefits for your employees. A Focus on Financial Wellness that includes: Online Courses: Free online courses empower employees with the knowledge they need to make smart financial choices. In-Person Seminars: Live workplace workshops inform and educate your team at your location. MyMoney tool: Free personal financial management tool helps employees manage their money in real time. It includes no hassle checking and savings accounts: No fee checking with direct deposit1 No fee savings with monthly $10 auto transfer No First Bank fees at out-of-network ATM and other bank fee rebates up to $15.00 per month 1 free overdraft per year Digital banking and mobile banking app with check deposit World-Class Protection IDProtect® – Identity Theft Monitoring and Resolution service2 that includes: Credit file monitoring3 Up to $10,000 ID theft expense reimbursement4 And more! Cell phone protection4 Convenience More than 100 branch locations across the Carolinas No First Bank fees at out-of-network ATMs plus with our ATM fee rebates we will refund up to $15/month of fees charged by other ATM owners5 Free digital banking and free mobile app with check deposit and Zelle®6 Ready to Get Started? Sign up for a free consultation or visit your local First Bank branch!   Avoid the $20 monthly maintenance fee by receiving a direct deposit of 4 min read
First Bank: Financing Loans for Businesses Choosing a bank to finance the right loan for your business is a critical decision. There are loans that cater to the established business looking to expand, and there are loans for the entrepreneur just getting started. The team at First Bank can help you choose the financing that’s right for you. Business Financing Options Shopping for loans can be overwhelming because of the large number of options available. Here’s a quick overview of some common types of business loans: Secured Loans Lenders offer secured loans because they are low risk. The borrow is required to put up collateral in exchange for the financing. Unsecured Loans Unsecured loans do not require the buyer to put up collateral. Approval for unsecured loans often depends on the borrower’s available capital and credit score. Short-Term Loans Short-term loans serve as a quick infusion of cash that requires swift repayment. Long-Term Loans A long-term loan is financing that is repaid over more than 12 months. If you’re needing to acquire assets for your business, this may be the right option for you. SBA Loans The Small Business Association (SBA) is a government agency that helps small businesses find loans. If you do not qualify for a traditional loan, you may be eligible for a loan through the SBA. If you’re just starting out, an SBA loan may be right for you. First Bank SBA has financed thousands of small businesses. SBA Loan Options Some common types of loans from the SBA include: 7(a) loans This common and versatile loan provides the necessary financing to launch a new business or to acquire or expand an existing one and can provide up to $5 million with terms stretching up to 25 years. Microloans Microloans are similar to the 7(a) loan but finance only up to $50,000, with repayment terms reaching up to six years. CDC/504 loans CDC/504 loans provide long-term and fixed-rate financing for the acquisition of real estate and expensive assets. Find a First Bank Near You Whatever your goals, we can find a loan to fit your needs. Find a First Bank branch in your area and start growing your business today. ———— Sources: SBA: sba.gov/loans-grants/see-what-sba-offers/sba-loan-programs/general-small-business-loans-7a/7a-loan-program-eligibility SBA: https://www.sba.gov/content/disaster-loan-program Loans subject to credit approval. 2 min read
Image for tile. Southern Supreme Fruitcakes & More – Garage Startup to Global Distributer "I don't like Fruitcake" Not a fan of fruitcake? Neither was Berta Lou Scott until she perfected her version in the 1980s. Her Southern Supreme Fruitcakes have been converting fruitcake foes to fans ever since. Visit the Southern Supreme Fruitcake Online Store A Sweet Success Story Berta Lou Scott’s fruitcake started as Christmas gifts for her friends, family, and clients in their hometown of Bear Creek, NC. Mrs. Scott’s baked goods were always sought after throughout the holidays, but her fruitcake especially garnered attention for its ability to change the minds of those who claim to not like fruitcake. As demand for her fruitcakes increased Mrs. Scott’s late husband, Hoyt Scott, took out a small business loan to increase their production capacity. The Scott family tells their First Bank story like this: “It all started around 1989 when our father/father-in-law “Hoyt Scott” wanted to take out a small business loan. At that time Mr. Jimmie Garner was who we went to see. The story that Hoyt liked to tell was, “I didn’t know who the bigger fool was: the man who wanted to borrow the money to start a Fruitcake business or the man who would loan him the money.” That is what started our relationship with First Bank.” As it turns out they weren’t fools after all. Jimmie Garner went on to become the CEO of First Bank and Hoyt Scott (along with his family) grew Southern Supreme Fruitcakes from their garage to a 40,000 square foot manufacturing, distribution and retail operation where they attract thousands of tourists each year and ship their products globally.   Play Not your typical Fruitcake  Two big differences set Berta Lou Scott’s fruitcake apart from the rest. Her recipe favors nuts over candied fruit, and her method of slow baking and stirring the dough as it bakes keeps the cakes from becoming dry. In fact, Southern Supreme Fruitcakes will stay fresh and moist without refrigeration for 6 months to a year. This unique baking method has posed a unique set of challenges that the Scott Family has overcome with hard work and ingenuity – something that is on display throughout their manufacturing facility. Thousands of guests tour their kitchen yearly to get a first-hand view of the one-of-a-kind operation which involves a rotating oven that allows trays of dough to move from baking to hand-stirring every 15 minutes until complete. Teams of seasonal workers begin fruitcake production in August and at the height of the Christmas ordering season, they will slowly bake and stir over 3,000 pounds of fruitcake per day. Watch this video to see their kitchen in action > 4 min read
Pencil laying on 1040 tax form Staying Safe from Tax Scams We received the following very handy and timely article from the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) in regards to staying safe during this season of numbers crunching and record keeping for taxes. As always, if you have any specific tax questions, be sure to consult a tax prep professional. Watch out for these scams Unfortunately, much of your personal information can be gathered from multiple locations online with almost no verification that the right person is receiving the information. Criminals know this and use the information to file a fake tax refund request! If a criminal files a tax return in your name before you do, they will file it with false information to get a large refund, forcing you to go through the arduous process of proving that you did not file the return and subsequently correcting the return. Once they have your personal information, criminals can continue to commit identity theft well beyond the tax season. Another favorite technique used by criminals during the tax season is sending phishing messages indicating that a new copy of your tax form(s) is available. These emails often impersonate state, local, tribal, and territorial government comptroller or IT departments. If you fill out or attempt to login into the phishing website, the criminals will be able to see your login name and password, which they can then use to try and compromise your other accounts. The more information they gather from you, the easier it is for them to use the information to file a fake tax return in your name. Lastly, tax fraudsters also impersonate the IRS and other tax officials to threaten taxpayers with penalties if they do not make an immediate payment. It is important to remember: The IRS will not initiate contact about payment with taxpayers by phone, email, text messages, or social media without sending an official letter in the mail first. The IRS will not call to demand immediate payment over the phone using a specific payment method such as a debit/credit card, a prepaid card, a gift card, or a wire transfer. The IRS will not threaten to immediately notify local police or other law-enforcement agencies to have you arrested for not paying. 4 min read
Homes Image