According to a recent study by market-research group Nielsen, American adults spend more than 11 hours per day watching, reading, listening to, or simply interacting with media, including video and social media. It’s no wonder then that social media is a must for your marketing efforts as a small business owner.
But with so many social media channels to populate – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, WhatsApp, to name just a few – you can spend a lot of time posting, replying, and even sharing content, which just adds more pressure to your already packed day. That’s why you need to be very clear on what you want to accomplish with social media and know what channels are giving you the greatest ROI.
Assess your activities
Analyzing the data may seem daunting, but the fact is that the more you look into the numbers and interactions on your social sites, the better you can determine what is working the best and where to put most of your energy. For starters, you’ll want to assess what posts elicit the most engagement or shares. For example, does news about new trends such as CBD, an ingredient very much in the news these days, get more likes and comments than posts about seasonal treatments? Also, review your sites to see which ones are attracting the newest followers.
Examine which sites and specific types of posts are helping to grow your business. Can you identify one post in particular that resulted in more bookings? Are Have you see an uptick in new client inquiries? Our current clients asking for more services? Posts driving traffic to your website where clients and prospects are reviewing services, booking appointments, and ordering products if you provide an e-commerce capability?
Revisit your social media goals
Before you make any changes to your social media goals, revisit your social media goals. In addition to driving business, another goal of social media is to build brand awareness. Determine if social media helps make the brand of your spa or massage practice more relevant to potential clients. When they call in with inquiries, ask how they heard about you and, if possible, what they heard.
You can use social media channels to test out ideas for growing the business. You may be thinking of adding new services, offering new treatments, or increasing from one to two locations or more. Social media sites offer you a platform to gauge the interest or enthusiasm for new revenue channels that you may be considering. You may also use your sites as a way to get input on what new products and services clients would like you to offer.
Your social sites also can help you get a handle on the competition. Check out your competitors on each of the platforms you engage with. Analyze how many followers they have and the interaction they enjoy. Compare the content you post with theirs.
Use social media to raise the local standing of your spa or massage as a good corporate citizen. By posting information and updates about your community involvement and donations, you build a positive local presence.
Make changes
In the end, all social sites are not going to yield you the same results based on the interests of clientele and where they spend the most time. Your analysis should help you decide what channels and content are making a difference. You may decide to only focus on a few sites or cut back on the time you spend with others. Social media is where you will find current and future clients, so be sure that the time you spend with them is well worth your effort.