When you start up a small business in Orange County, you know that it’s going to be a challenge.

Social media can give you an edge, though, provided that you know how to use it in the right way. Here is a blueprint for social media usage that anyone can follow, regardless of their experience level.

Be Committed

Before you get into the social media game, you need to make a mental commitment to yourself that you are going to stick with it.

Mastering the various platforms isn’t easy sometimes, and you’re likely to face the occasional setback. Be prepared for those mentally, and don’t allow them to make you discouraged. You need to stick with social media if you want the eventual market penetration that leads to sales.  

Your followers will notice the frequency of your content, and if you’re only updating your feeds occasionally, it’s not going to look good for you. You also need to be ready to respond rapidly to their comments and questions.

Plan Strong Visual Campaigns

You may end up using different social media platforms depending on your niche, Orange County, but one thing is going to be true regardless of which ones you utilize. You need to have professional-quality images to which your audience is going to respond.

Your images should all reflect the same style, also. When someone sees one of your pictures, they should immediately think that it belongs to your brand. That’s branding power, and it’s going to encourage customer loyalty over time.

You’ll want to have plenty of pictures of your products, people using them, and your staff enjoying their jobs. Try to form a personal connection between you and the customers. An emotional appeal works well, or something funny or silly.

Hashtags

You also need to learn how to use hashtags to your best advantage across different social media platforms, Orange County.

For some, a couple of hashtags is plenty, while for others you might use ten or more. A strategically-placed hashtag that goes viral can mean hundreds or thousands of new followers for you, unique website visitors, and a spike in sales.

Be sure to research the hashtags you use. Don’t use them indiscriminately, and be positive that they’re not controversial or offensive to anyone.

The idea is to invent a hashtag that a customer will immediately think of and will want to use on their social media feeds every time that they use one of your services or products.

Social media requires careful planning if you’re doing it right, Orange County, but it is within anyone’s power to learn. There isn’t anything magical about it.

The thing to do is to figure out where your customers are spending their time, target them there, and consistently send out posts that will seem appealing to them. Your brand will gradually come to be known and recognized, and you’ll start to see the sales numbers that will justify all your efforts.