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Last time, we talked about some basics about social media marketing. This time, we should dive deeper into the core of social media management.

The Right Social Media Message Travels A Long Way

When running a business’ social media marketing, we often share content that aligns with the business’s core values. It helps gain attention and grow the following organically.

Something absolutely heartwarming happened to one of our clients last month. We shared a post for Momentum Sports and Rehabilitation via their Facebook page. We intended to inspire their current following by sharing the story of Kelly Cartwright, an Australian gold medal-winning Paralympian. Then something wonderful happened.

We received a heartfelt message of gratitude from Kelly herself. While we were touched, we weren’t particularly surprised. When doing it right, your social media message can travel a long way.

Kelly wasn’t a follower of Momentum’s Facebook page. There’s a good chance she didn’t even know the company existed before a friend of hers showed her our post. Regardless, we had chosen an effective message and promoted it on the right platform. Thus, Momentum gained the attention and the gratitude of a key influencer in their space.

We are sure we don’t need to tell you how powerful that is.

Rule #1 of Social Media Management

It tempted us to call this section ‘how long is a piece of string?’ But that overlooks the fact that not all social media are born equal to your small business needs. You’ve got limited resources. Even if you didn’t, a carpet-bombing approach to social media marketing is likely to do more harm than good. Therefore, social media management is much more than just posting and sharing.

The goal here is to choose platforms that your target audience is using. Once you’ve done that, you need to create compelling, platform-specific content for them. The key to social media marketing success is to reward your audience when they interact with your page. Remember, it’s SOCIAL media.

The reasoning behind this goal is two-fold: to maximise your ROI and ensure your messages are consistent across different platforms. Basically, you won’t be stretching your ability to make content paper-thin.

The Necessary and Complementary Platforms

At Olivetree Marketing, we’ve found that it is most effective for small businesses to emphasise on Facebook, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn. As explained in our previous blog, a combination of audience size and variety, marketing tools and cross-platform efficiency ensures that you will use at least one of them. That’s why we affectionately refer to them as ‘necessary’ platforms.

On the other hand, complementary platforms are more case-specific. Only certain businesses will find utility in them and they require more specialised skill sets. YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat (to name just a few) have an important role to play in social media marketing. Especially when targeting younger customers. But they’re not as universal as our necessary platforms. We recommend you only add them to your strategy after careful consideration.

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or All Three?

While Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn have many similarities, they’re still different beasts. The decision to use more than one should always be based upon ROI potential. Because each requires its own tailored strategy.

At Olivetree Marketing, we’re constantly optimising our social media management processes to reduce time and money spent while increasing quality. And we will still occasionally advise that a client forgo a certain platform. So, trust us, choosing the right platform is going to save a lot of stress.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s see which platform is right for you. Remember to check out our previous blog if you want to know more about each platform’s specific features.

Facebook

Likely, Facebook is going to be your superstar. With by far the largest global user base, it’s almost always the top choice.

It’s undeniably the most powerful, effective and low-cost advertising tool available. Small businesses will particularly benefit from its user-friendly Facebook Business Suite. As Facebook owns Instagram, the Facebook Business Suite also equipped with some in-built cross-platform features. It has become one of the most powerful social media management tools available in the market. And the best part is, it is free.

Facebook also has the best community building features (like creating groups) out of any of the necessary social media platforms. When utilised correctly, these features allow your followers and fans to co-create meaning with your brand. Thus, invest their own identities with that of your company’s. It is worth notice that Generation Zs are engaging less with Facebook, instead preferring Instagram and Tik-Tok.

Instagram

Although Instagram lacks community-building features, it makes up product or service showcasing capabilities. Daily stories, regular posts, and now reels, all allow you to deploy a steady stream of content that doesn’t feel oppressive to your followers.

Instagram marketing requires your content to be both professional and visually engaging. Low-quality images, boring subjects and a lack of coordination will lead to your brand’s content being swiftly ignored.

LinkedIn

If you are a professional service provider or in B2B (Business-to-Business), then a LinkedIn page is a must-have. You can promote your business on LinkedIn just like other platforms. Although LinkedIn’s user base is smaller than that of Facebook or Instagram, the platform’s users are highly active. This is because LinkedIn has a strong utility focus, rather than entertainment.

You can also expand your professional network on LinkedIn. You’ll be able to project an image of professionalism and leadership in your field. LinkedIn is also a powerful recruitment tool. If your business requires highly skilled staff, you can both passively and actively attract them through its recruitment specific features.

Help Me, Olivetree

We know that after reading this, you’re probably thinking that social media marketing might be more trouble than it’s worth. Social media management seems daunting. Because you have to regularly create and post content, engage with your users, measure your metrics, and much more. All while managing every other aspect of your business. It all sounds exhausting, right?

We’re here to help.

Just ask Pain School International. Since we launched their Facebook page five years ago, we’ve built their following from nil to 3,600 loyal followers. That’s all without spending a dollar on advertising.

If you want to grow your business, all you have to do is get in touch.