Can you believe that 2022 is just around the corner? The new year will surely bring fresh marketing opportunities and ways to share your small business on social media, and we’re here to help you get ready for them. Given what’s worked well in 2021 and the emerging trends on the horizon, here are a few ideas to keep your social media marketing effective:

  1. Create positive customer experiences.

    Today’s consumers value the experience a business provides just as much as the products or services they’re purchasing. So, whenever you’re engaging with customers through social media marketing in the new year, put your best foot forward. Here are a few tips:

  • Know which platforms your audience uses and maintain active accounts there
  • Engage with an authentic brand voice in both customer interactions and content
  • Respond to ALL customer messages (positive and negative) in a swift and personalized manner
  • Promote user-generated content like testimonials
  • Communicate with customers. Let them know that their feedback matters to help you improve your brand

  1. Expand your use of video.

Experts expect video posts to grow even more popular in 2022—some predict they will soon make up around 82 percent of online content. As a result, social media platforms are also expected to roll out more options for sharing videos in the new year, from added video display options on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to live-streaming events on LinkedIn.

How can your small business leverage video in your social media marketing?

  • Take customers “behind the scenes” to show how a product is made
  • Spotlight team members
  • Help customers solve a problem step by step
  • Tell a story about how your product or service helped

These are just a few of many possibilities, so you can choose what will work best for your business and connect with the audience you’re trying to reach. Here are some tips that can help.

On a budget? You can still be creative with video—here are a few ways to get started.

  1. Leverage shoppable posts.

Over the last two years, online shopping has seen a surge, and social media platforms respond with more eCommerce options. If you’re interested in selling your content or services online, be sure to investigate shoppable post options on Facebook, ways to set up an Instagram Shop, buyable Pins on Pinterest, and keep an eye out for the recently piloted Twitter Shop Module. Each platform has its own requirements, but you’ll usually need a business account and a verifiable domain name to get started selling.

  1. Develop more carousel posts.

Carousel posts—known as such because they feature multiple images or videos that the user swipes through—are the most highly engaged and the most under-used forms of posts on Instagram. Take advantage of their ability to draw customers in via your social media marketing. Carousels are perfect for many types of posts, including:

  • Showcasing a range of products or services
  • Sharing a product tutorial
  • Highlighting team members
  • Featuring “before” and “after” pictures related to your business
  • Repurposing content from blogs, webinars, or reports

While carousels are most popular on Instagram, you can make similar multi-image posts on Facebook and LinkedIn. Finally, don’t be afraid to mix videos and images on your carousel posts—doing so can drive up your engagement rates even further.

  1. Give back to your community.

Today’s consumers highly value corporate generosity. In fact, around 61 percent of adults under 40 say they’d switch to a brand if it supports a cause they believe in. So, if your small business is already giving back, share how you’re making a difference in your social media marketing.

If you’re not currently aligned with a charitable effort, consider what type of organization your brand could engage with authentically. Then, bring your team on board with your initiative and spread the word about the tangible ways you’re hoping to partner with others to give back together. Finally, get your followers excited about the difference your brand is making, and they’ll want to support you, too.

Let us help make 2022 your business’s best year yet on social media! Call for a free strategy session today at 855.677.0023.

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