Betsy Bash is a small social media marketing agency that thrives on helping other small businesses succeed! Whether you want to utilize our services or not, we are rooting for you! That is why we like creating content that educates, inspires, and maybe even entertains other small business owners and employees out there! We’re in this together :)
This month we’re focusing on the six essentials we’ve found that support small business growth in 2022! No matter where your business is at right now, we hope these tips will help you reach the goals you’ve set happily and successfully! Now, let’s get started!
1. A Supportive Work Culture Is Essential!
In the year of 2022 A.C., we hope that it isn’t a new concept to you that workplace happiness is crucial to creating a productive and prosperous environment. Research shows that Millennials and Gen Z’ers prioritize a healthy workplace culture, altruistic company values, and supportive work-life balance more than previous generations.
Listening to your employee's and teammates' goals and struggles while respecting their boundaries builds trust and stability. The more your team connects with you, the more enthusiastically they will work for the common purpose of business success. Building a foundation of communication and compromise is the first step in creating a long-lasting and sustainable business. This goes for solo entrepreneurs as well! Check in with yourself every so often and ensure you are listening to what you need from your company.
In addition to team dynamics, company values are high on the priorities for the current generation's employment goals. Not only do people want to purchase from companies that better the world, but they also seek employment from places that give back. We dive further into this topic in our article, “Find Success By Helping Others.”
Finally, the biggest lesson from 2020, work-life balance is crucial. Remote work is no longer a rarity for employees; it is now a demand! And for a good reason, we all learned that there are more important things than the bottom line. Supporting your team’s work-life balance is important, even if your team is just you!
We recommend checking out our article, “Social Is Stressful, Y’all!” to help you find ways to encourage self-care and love for yourself and your team!
2. Investment In Social Media Pays Off!
You HAVE to have a vibrant presence on social media to be a successful business in 2022! We aren’t just saying this because we LOVE social media. We know it has its faults, trust us! But, a recent study revealed that over 70% of people report using social media to help make purchasing decisions. That’s a huge chunk of buying power right there! We promise that investing time, money, and effort in your social media profiles will benefit your success!
First, ensuring your business has the RIGHT social media accounts is essential. Not every platform is created equal because different target demographics can be found on specific platforms. That’s why we highly recommend pointing your efforts towards the social media platforms your potential customers will frequent the most. And, if you’re wondering how to decide which one is right for your small business, click here!
After you pick your social media platforms, you’ve got to get the wheels going on your campaigns. We’ve found that a successful social media operation has four distinct pillars, strategy, planning ahead, creative content, and engagement. Let us explain further “How to Build a Social Media Foundation in 4 Easy Steps.”
3. Digital Ads Make You Money!
We have a saying around the office that marketing is a lot like dating. A brand’s website is its “home.” Their social media content should represent a business’s services/products, values, and overall vibe. So when a potential “date” visits your social pages, they get a sense of who you are, and hopefully, they’ll want to come “home” to your website ;)
But how do you meet someone to invite them home? Well, you go out and mingle! That’s where social media/digital ads come in! Digital marketing ads find people where they are, whether scrolling on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok or searching on Google. Investing in digital and social media ads will produce more interest and awareness for your business.
It sounds cheesy, but it is true; you must spend money to make money. The good news is that investing just $5 a day for a targeted evergreen ad on Facebook and Instagram can bring so much awareness to your brand. You don’t have to break the bank to get the marketing ball rolling. You just need to create engaging content for your ads, target the right audience, and let the algorithms do their job!
4. Communication Is Key!
Not to use the same metaphor, but… every successful relationship requires solid open communication! ;) Your customers/clients/followers want to talk with you, and with the rise of social media, the lines of communication are more open than ever! If you want your business to flourish, it’s imperative to understand what your target audience is seeking, and the best way to do that is to listen, engage and respond to them.
We can’t stress enough how important it is to respond to every incoming comment, review, and message on your social media platforms. If your followers are taking the time to engage on your pages, they want to be heard; whether it is positive or negative, you should let them know that you see them. We call this practice Community Management, and it strengthens your brand in so many ways.
In addition to responding to incoming comments/messages, a brand-building practice is outreach community management. You should find relevant Facebook groups, Instagram hashtags, or even Reddit threads to be a part of your community’s conversations organically. You will be gaining followers and brand awareness naturally.
If you’d like even more tips in communication to reach the current largest purchasing demographic, we’ve compiled some insights in our article, “Tackling the Millennial Market.”
5. Flexibility Translates Into Growth!
The next step after communication is compromise, right? The world we live in is constantly evolving and growing, and as a small business owner, you have to be willing to adjust to meet consumer demands! Your community management efforts will allow you to keep a pulse on what your customers want.
On top of your audience’s desires, industry standards, practices, and requirements often shift, and we’re all left screaming, “PIVOT!” The Betsy Bash team learned this lesson when the IOS 14.5 update changed the social media marketing landscape!
Small business ownership requires open-mindedness, flexibility, and an acceptance of change to retain relevance and achieve success. We encourage our clients to step out of their comfort zones to help their brand blossom! One area that we’ve seen a fast and dramatic change in is TikTok; unlike any other platform, it has the most potential to get your business noticed. If you are skeptical about TikTok, let us show you how beneficial it can be, “Time is ticking, and you’re still not on TikTok? What are you waiting for?”
6. You Got This! We Promise.
You really do! We’ve been talking about “success” and “growth,” but these words have many meanings. You took the leap and started the business off your dreams, “success!” You prioritized your team and yourself, “growth!” Creating social media pages to showcase your brand, “success!” Communicating and staying flexible, “growth!” By reading this, you're investing in your company’s future by remaining open to learning.
One final piece of food for thought, stay patient. Marketing and investing in your business will take time to see results. There is no real “quick fix” or “instant gratification” when building a profitable business. In the beginning, especially with social media marketing, you are planting seeds and watering them; they’ll take time to grow. And that’s ok!
As always, if you’d like help with your marketing campaigns or just to talk through these ideas, the Betsy Bash team is always ready! We believe in you!