Social Media has not only become the norm for personal branding but also corporate branding. That said, 2021 will be a unique year where most businesses will have to learn how to kick-off new strategies, brands, and even products virtually – building on the success learned in 2020. This may be a stretch with over 3,000 small business owners listing marketing/advertising as one of the top 3 challenges in 2020, according to Guidant Financial. Nevertheless, social media as much as it has evolved is necessary yet still achievable for all businesses. Here are 3 ways to best utilize social media in Q1:

1. VOC – Voice of the Customer:
   Any size company has the opportunity to hear from its customers; what a gift! This helps inform what your customers want, shows you where, and how, they’re engaged and identifies business efficiencies. According to socialbakers.com, “A report by Forrester projects that digital customer service interactions will increase by 40% in 2021.” An increasing number of customers will leverage sharing their voice via digital platforms, such as social media. Therefore it’s important to have eyes and ears available to capture any and all feedback.
2. Sets the stage for your brand:
   Social media allows you to set the stage for the past, present, and future objectives of your brand. Addressing, and even readjusting, customer perceptions by highlighting improvements in products, services, and perhaps even culture. The oh-so-fun and delicious ice cream brand, Ben & Jerry’s, has mastered this concept. They highlight their organizations mission and culture through their ice cream. Their unique naming conventions, flavors and partnerships create dialogue and brand awareness on their social platforms. Furthermore, they give consumers an easy way to stay connected to up and coming trends. But, let’s be honest, do we really need a reason to eat ice cream?! Sharing your future strategy and seasonal items to show how you’re thinking ahead while also incentivizing customers to stay engaged through multiple platforms. It’s the best mix!
3. Highlight Your Customers:
   Everyone enjoys being valued.  Highlighting your customers showcases your target audience. Secondly, it shows that you care about customer satisfaction and not just sales. Lastly, it leads to brand loyalty through repeat and higher transactional customers. Smile.io confirms how “After one purchase, a customer has a 27% chance of returning to your store…[and] if you can get that customer to come back and make a second and third purchase, they have a 54% chance of making another purchase.” Highlighting your customers can be sharing them using a product, a short product review, or a customer testimonial. Plus it’s great content for your social media campaigns!

These 3 ways are best utilized in Q1 to help set the tone for the rest of the year. Creating a brand presence early helps potential customers look to your business first to meet their needs compared to competitors. Furthermore, all can be conducted on various platforms for a very low cost. Kick-off your Q1 social media strategy today. If this all sounds confusing, reach out to us to help – we’re always here for you