How Business Owners Can Stand Out in a Crowded Digital Space
Starting and running a small business is always a herculean task, especially if you don’t have a physical store location for customers to wander into. Many people already know to advertise their goods and services in newspapers and list their products on Etsy. However, one of the most neglected areas for home businesses is proper social media presence. These days, it isn’t enough to simply set up a Facebook page.
Consistency, customer interaction, and proper advertising are all aspects that can elevate the popularity of your work. When I began my small business of custom press-on nails, I relied heavily on word of mouth from friends before realizing that wasn’t sustainable for consistent sales and a growing customer base.
Below are some tips that I utilized to expand my social media and make my work more visible to potential customers – try them all or just a few for yourself.
Use multiple platforms – it’s exhausting to have a lot of accounts, but people tend to cherry pick what social media they like to use. Many of my friends stick only to Instagram and refuse to download TikTok. Other friends use TikTok to get information, news, and recommendations for purchases. Some of the best social media apps to set an account up on are Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook as they cover a wide variety of media types and age groups. You don’t have to create new material for every single account too! A good photo can be posted on Instagram, X, and Facebook. A well put-together video can go on TikTok and Instagram reels. The term for this is “cross posting” and you’ll find most people do it!
Take high quality photos/videos – it might take you a while to figure out your ideal photography set-up but it’s worth the trial and effort! I live in a condo without much natural light, so I often struggle to get well lit, clear photos of my final products. However, you’ll find that a decent product photo is one of the biggest selling points, especially if your photos are all similar in lighting and composition. Experiment with different locations, times of day, and possibly purchasing some small photography lights. Good quality photographs make a difference in the decision to make a purchase, and you can cross post your nice photos on all your accounts.
Market through your customers’ social media – word of mouth from friends is one thing but a recommendation from an unbiased customer is worth even more. Encourage your customers to post photos of your products and tag you in them. Some stores I know will offer 10% discounts on a future order to people who publicly post and tag photos of their products on apps such as Instagram. Others will add in additional products or gifts onto their next orders – a small lift on your end can make a big difference to returning and future customers.
Post often but not too much – I know, it sounds like an oxymoron. One of the quickest ways to lose momentum on social media is to be inconsistent with your posting. Some of this can be blamed on the app’s algorithm – they do not prioritize pushing your content out to people if you post infrequently or erratically. On the other hand, posting too much may drive customers away who are tired of seeing a ton of posts from you in one day. Create a regular posting schedule for yourself, such as one photo every Monday and Friday. Of course, life happens and we can’t always stick to that! However, having a consistent posting schedule encourages you to stay on track and signals to both customers and social media apps that you are an active business.
Lastly, don’t be tempted by every trend. Many people think that posting content related to something going viral is a perfect way to get attention. However, it’s not great to try to cater to every trend, especially if your product or service isn’t related to it. It may serve to alienate your customer base if you are pandering to a trend they don’t care much for. Some trends may be a great fit for you though! For example, when I see certain fashion aesthetics becoming popular on TikTok, I might make a set of press-on nails that reflects the elements and colors of that trend. But something like a dance trend wouldn’t be the right fit for me and I’m sure if I posted a video dancing, even with my nails in shot, my customers would find it strange. Staying true to your brand and your image is more important than participating in every trend the moment it goes viral.
These are only a handful of ways to increase your presence on social media and build your brand across platforms. It can be frustrating, especially when a social media app has an internal algorithm that makes it difficult for smaller accounts to be visible to others. Even I struggle to do some of these, such as posting regularly since I can go a while between creating custom sets.
Overall, the main factor is consistency in both brand personality and image – be true to yourself, your product and services, and prioritize quality over quantity. Although social media can seem like an overwhelming hinderance, it can actually be a low-lift aid that takes your small business to big.
