Using the Internet to Promote your Small Business

Talking to the owner of a local business about his internet activity... 

Backgound: he and his son have two part-time assistants. The owner is approaching age 60 and preparing for his son (who is half that age) to take over the business in the next few years. The business has had a website for many years and it covers their needs (although the content could be updated). The main source of leads is from a large, specialised marketplace service - think Etsy, RightMove, etc.  Typically, the son has been tasked with the social media aspect of the business as the dad has limited knowledge of it and does not want to start learning it now.

Looking at their website links to social media, we see Facebook and Twitter: FB is updated regularly and Twitter has not been touched for 5 years. Although it's not mentioned on the website, there is also an Instagram account which is frequently updated and is more popular than the other two media combined.

What is Marketing?

Having been in Marketing since before Internet use was widespread, we understand the many facets of above/below the line, direct/indirect marketing and the difference between marketing and sales (often a blurry line dismissed by ambitious salespeople). Marketing is not only about making money today but ensuring stability for future sales.

But we've wandered off-track a little... marketing is essential to seek out potential customers and persuade them to contact your sales force - whether that is a visit to your website full of stuff to spend their money on or by encouraging them to contact you by 'phone, email, whatever.

Social Media Marketing

Social Media is a very powerful marketing tool and cheaper than advertising, although the two can work together. For example, if you are not getting enough Facebook followers by natural growth, you can pay a few pounds to kick-start a 'follow-us' campaign. This has worked extremely well for some of our clients. Of course, the way to keep followers engaged is to post interesting and varied information with images or a video - regularly but not too often as to get on people's nerves!

With Instagram and Facebook being linked, one post can be shared to both media simultaneously. 

Social Media is 'horses for courses' and you will have to determine which suits you best. It's free so try a few but be sure to suitably tailor your posts. Don't forget to interact and be friendly because this is a social environment, not an excuse for free in-your-face advertising! This means that you should look through others' posts and react to them (nicely, of course) to build a rapport.

Data Analysis

Another aspect of growing your business is knowing (not assuming) which avenues have been successful in bringing in potential customers. Insights are available with most social media and websites can have Google Analytics installed. As with all statistics, you need to understand how best to interpret the data.

For example, when we were selling a property, the agent provided us with a copy of the Rightmove property views data for the first month. It showed that, after the first day, views dropped to a daily average of 10% of the initial number for the rest of the month. The graph was labelled 'property views' with no other explanation. We asked the agents if a 'view' was of the property listing within the scrollable results or whether it was an in-depth view of information, photographs, etc. They didn't know so the information was mostly worthless.

Which of these is considered a 'view'?

(deliberately fuzzy because the content detail is not relevant to this post)

Tip: when you first talk to a new contact, ask how he/she discovered you, e.g. via search engine, by recommendation, advertising, etc.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics provides considerably more information regarding the activity on your website. Sadly, the website we referred to at the start of this post has not been linked to a Google Analytics account therefore there will be no historical performance date from that resource.

We hope this helps you to refine your internet marketing and social media management. Feel free to post questions in the comments or contact us if you'd like our assistance.

Best Social Media Platforms 2022

In our recent experience, the top three on the list below have led the way during the past couple of years, best for business posts. We also use YouTube, Twitter and, occasionally, Tumblr (depending on the type of business). So far...

 Note: click here to read the updated review of UK social media stats, 2024.

We have several clients for whom we manage social media and an analysis of their activity concurs with this statistic. Facebook is, without doubt, top of the heap. Instagram works well if there are relevant images. YouTube works well for video (obviously). Twitter is good for interactive clients.

Interestingly, videos uploaded to Facebook and Instagram are more widely viewed than static images.

As with all social media, you get the best results when you take the time to use it. For example, post interesting stuff regularly and keep an eye on any notifications or responses, reacting positively where appropriate. Andsocial media is not all about you! Additionally, you need to show interest in other posts, comment on them (nicely) and maybe strike up conversations. 

For example, if your business is a service and you have difficulty with relevant images, connect with people about their interests, whether it's sport, arts, gardening, etc. You will gain followers which helps your 'popularity'.

In our case, we design websites and manage social media therefore the best relevant images we have are snapshots of our clients' businesses. We also offer to edit clients' own videos and we have been planning to set up a studio for promotional video filming (that was pre-covid so other things took priority). 

Meanwhile, some of our social media clients are their own worst enemies - we set them up and they don't use it because they don't have the time. Time spent building your online network and interacting with people is similar to, yet much cheaper than, training salespeople. Those who do take the time to build (e.g.) a Facebook following, will notice the benefits, which is why it's so popular, despite its many irritating ways. Not to worry, though - help is at hand. We offer this service too!

It's also worth using analytics to monitor the progress of your activities (we can do that for you).

We also set up WordPress blogs for smaller clients with low budgets & we offer a blogging service.

Check us out! 

• https://twitter.com/BPcUK/ 
• https://www.facebook.com/TheBPcUK 
• https://www.instagram.com/bpcuk/
  

Using Video in Social Media Posts

Have you noticed that Facebook and Instagram posts with videos generally have more views than those with static images?

Creating videos is easy with smartphones and many now have in-built editing facilities. No longer does one have to upload videos to YouTube before sharing them (although it's still a good medium). Facebook and Instagram take direct uploads of your video content.

For example, a UK client set up an Instagram account at the end of 2018 and each post received up to 15 likes. The medium was used infrequently and their first video was posted a couple of years later, which has been played 173 times, to date.

Their next few posts (images) still didn't break the 15 likes barrier so another video was added in March 2021. It was very short, created with their social media tools and, to be honest, quite irritating (if only Instagram would facilitate post-editing) but it has, to date, peen played 271 times.

The next post - a lovely photograph - managed 13 likes followed by the next video - a very good one - which achieved 304 plays. 

• Two more posts (each had fewer that 15 likes) and another video with 155 views;
• Fourteen posts (each had fewer that 15 likes) and another video with 100 views;
• Four posts (each had fewer that 15 likes) and another video with 78 views;
• Four posts (each had fewer that 15 likes) and another video with 104 views...

... and so on, clearly illustrating that videos are better than images for Instagram. 

Their Facebook statistics are slightly skewed because there are paid 'boosts' on some posts. That said, posts often reach 500 people, recently a post reached over 1,000 views with a boost and, over the Christmas season, another post had over 7,000 views. 

Of course, views and likes are not the same thing but there was also an increase in website traffic. Visitors via Social Media rose from under 30 a day at the end of last year to almost 100 a day during January, dropping down to an average of 55 so far during February. Most visitors originate via Search Engines, of course.

Finally, YouTube is not dead. The client featured below has had over 70,000 views of their videos.