Tips for Using Social Media for your Business - Interview with Nicole from Ngage Digital Marketing

I had the pleasure this week of interviewing Nicole Ryals of Ngage Digital Marketing. She specializes in social media marketing so I asked her a few questions that I thought I could benefit my business clients. I’ve summarized some of her responses for you but you can also check out the entire video interview below. Enjoy!

Do I need to have an account on every social network? How should I decide where to put my time?

It’s too overwhelming to be on every network at the same time! Think about your business goals and decide which platforms align with those goals. For instance, if you are in an industry that requires very frequent updates, Twitter might be an important social network for you. Most small businesses are on Facebook (and since Facebook owns Instagram, it is easier to be on both of those platforms at the same time). A pro tip for using Facebook for your business is to participate in relevant groups AS your business page. Contribute on posts, speak up when someone is requesting help within your industry and bring recognition to your business as you do it! Also, look into the new options Facebook has to sell products directly on the Facebook and Instagram platforms. If you’re selling things to other businesses, you’ll want to check out LinkedIn.

How do I grow my following and engagement?

You have to be consistent with delivering content on whichever social networks you choose. For Twitter, it is recommended you tweet 20-70 times a week. Nicole recommends posting 3 times a week to Instagram and/or Facebook (post those gorgeous photos to Instagram and then share to Facebook). Building followers is just like anything else with business. You need to have a lot of things to be working well at the same time. Make sure you are including your social media handles in your email signatures and sharing it in your storefronts. Comment and interact with other accounts in Facebook groups or follow relevant hashtags on Social Media to find posts to interact with. Use Insights features to see who is in your audience, what time they’re on Facebook or Instagram and which posts are getting more engagement.

When I do sessions with clients, a lot of the times it is so they have photo content to use on social media (no more posing for selfies or staging a shot!). Can you talk about the variety of ways you can use photos on social media?

Everyone should post a photo of themselves and share their story and how it relates to their business. People want to connect with the person behind the brand. It’s always better when people can come to your page and see beautiful pictures! Having low-quality photos or obvious stock photos may actually deter people from wanting to visit your company or hire you. But having high quality custom photos, it helps you draw in the correct client for your business. Also share photos that explain where the customer will end up when they shop with your company.

What is the biggest mistake you see companies making with social media?

The biggest mistake is businesses not using their social media accounts or not using them well. There are so many new tools coming out within social media that allow small businesses sell more and connect better with clients online and not utilizing those features is a disservice. You can gain a lot of customers just by keeping up your engagement and consistently posting beautiful photos that show you and your business. Don’t forget to be available and respond quickly in the messenger features of your social media accounts!

What are three things a business can do right now to improve their social media presence?

Post more and post consistently - make sure they are quality posts! Nicole is trying out a new technique where she uses a 3-step process to plan out her social media posts. First she will plan out all of the topics that she wants to talk about in that month. Then she will plan out the captions that she wants to use for each of those topics. And then the third step is planning out the content to go along with those captions. So for my clients, this would be where you select from your gallery of photos that we created together. You might also use particular graphics, selfies, stock images or quotes. Then just schedule everything out!

Engage more with others on social media from your business accounts.

Tie in your social media to everything else you do. Mention your social media accounts in your email marketing, post signs about it in your physical storefront, ask clients to post about your business and their experience and more!

What advice do you have for small businesses in regards to posting about things like the Black Lives Matter movement?

Nicole believes consumers are expecting you to comment about what’s happening socially. Comment on issues, whether it be something like global warming or the more current protests and Black Lives Matter movement, if it’s something that is important to you. Understand that you may receive backlash for it but be true to the things that matter to you and to your company. Make sure you aren’t engaging with any negative debates but let your customers know that you see them and hear them and are there for them.

What’s your favorite social network and why?

Nicole’s favorite platform is Instagram because it’s the best place to be really creative. She also feels like it’s the easiest place to find new ways to interact with and follow.

Check out my full interview with Nicole!