How to Leverage Facebook and Instagram for Your Business

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are networks that facilitate direct dialogue between brands and consumers. For small business owners, these networks also represent a great way to attract new customers and increase customer loyalty. Here’s what you need to know.The power of persuasion of social media No less than 75% of Canadians say that social media influences their buying behaviour. Before making a purchase, people consult recommendations and customer reviews, or check how a brand interacts with its followers. Hence the importance of having an online presence and engaging with these highly receptive potential customers.Connecting with customersSocial networks provide small businesses with their own platforms to interact with existing and potential customers. Photo and video content supported by great captions and comments can inform your target audience about news and special events, demonstrate your expertise with tools and tips, and even boost traffic. In the summer time, just before happy hour, restaurant publications are all the more enticing!An extension of customer serviceBeing present online is much like serving customers in store or on the phone; it is important to be constant and quick to respond. Answer questions promptly and post content on a regular basis—a few times a week, if possible.Are you out of ideas? A dedicated Yellow Pages campaign manager can create up to 10 posts per month for you and monitor activities daily, at a lower cost than hiring an additional employee.Highly targeted postsIf your business is a neighbourhood business or if it targets a specific audience, the Facebook advertising platform provides an unparalleled level of control to reach a pool of highly relevant prospects. You can select geographical locations right down to the postal code, or select exact age, gender, spoken languages, spheres of interest, etc. As such, you avoid reaching out to the wrong people and wasting your advertising dollars.Getting the most out of your budgetThe Facebook, Instagram and Messenger platforms share the same advertising ecosystem, offering a multitude of possible placements: news feed, sidebar, Instagram feed, Messenger home screen… Optimized placement allows you to maximize your advertising budget in function of all the opportunities available. It’s a bit like making a bulk purchase, allowing you to get more value with the same budget as with individual transactions.