4 Ways Small Businesses can Use Social Media in 2020
If you haven’t noticed the massive hit your organic reach has taken lately on social media, you will soon. Organic reach of business pages has taken a nosedive over the past few years, and it’s not expected to come back this year. In Zuckerberg’s recent manifesto, he points to a few key areas of focus for Facebook over the next few years. While some of those touch on new opportunities for small businesses to sell directly through the platform, he also talks about privatizing the conversation on the platform. This means shifting to more enclosed conversations, private messaging and groups. People no longer want to share all aspects of their lives with their entire friends list, and Facebook is listening.
What this means for Small Businesses, is that the reach of business pages, meant to shout out to the general public, won’t be anything worth talking about in 2020. Does that mean social media will be worthless for business? Absolutely not.
While Facebook may not be as valuable a branding tool as it used to be, it can still be an amazing place to connect with, have conversations with, and sell to your target audience. And let’s now forget, there is life outside of Facebook, and opportunities to connect on a variety of platforms. Let’s break down how you should be tackling social media in 2020.
Facebook Groups - Creating a private group for followers or fans is a great way to create a space for conversation. Inside groups, members feel supported and safe to ask questions. They’re much more likely to engage with a brand here than on a general public page.
Chatbots - As people move to new forms of communication, Facebook Messenger has come up front and center as a way to connect with consumers, answer questions, and provide updates. Chatbots are excellent opportunities to send out sales and updates, encourage people to make an appointment, offer quizzes and make product recommendations. By having these “private” conversations, customers feel more personally connected to a brand than a normal social post.
Live Video - With live video extending into both Instagram and Facebook, the ability to showcase events as they are happening, answer questions live from customers, promote launches and run contests has never been more effective. People love the unpolished, authentic feel of Live videos, and crave that realness from brands.
Stories - As the reach of newsfeeds shrink, Facebook and Instagram stories are rising as a great way to cut through the noise. The ability to ad polls, ask questions, or get feedback, gives normal posts an element of interactivity.
Social media isn’t dead for businesses, but the way we use it has to shift. Instead of the traditional post, think about adding more live and story content, and investing in tools that will allow you to connect with consumers on a more personal level.
Need some help growing and implementing your social strategy for 2020? Click here to schedule a discovery call with the Hub Digital team!