Sublimation Business Marketing with Social Media
Rules for Social Media Marketing
Odds are, you already have some sort of social media presence – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Now is the time to harness the power of these platforms to benefit your business. Some basic rules I like to follow are:
1. Build your brand and be consistent with that brand. Choose a logo, font, color, etc. and stick with it consistently every single time. The goal is for your customers to be able to recognize your work instantly. In today’s world you only have a fraction of a second to catch a customer’s eye. Consistent branding is necessary and paramount to your success.
2. Take great photographs. In this business, it is literally all about the image. Produce great samples and take even better photographs of your work. Be consistent with the angles, the background subject matter, watermark placement, clarity, and overall tone. There are several image editing/watermarking tools available for your phone (if that’s your preferred means of photography). Even better, use a digital SLR camera and carefully edit your images.
3. Be consistent with the timing of your posts. There are many tools available across most social media platforms that provide invaluable insights to your activity. Most notably is the time of day in which your posts receive the most engagement, as well as some basic demographics of your followers. Study this data and use it to your advantage by posting content during peak engagement times, tailored to the appropriate demographic. Using this formula will yield amazing results. Be sure to include an appropriate call to action in the post. Follow this formula consistently every single day.
4. Respond to questions and comments in a timely manner. Engagement is the goal with social media marketing. When you receive comments, questions, or likes, it is critical to respond as quickly as possible. If a question isn’t appropriate for public discussion, take it private – after you publicly announce you are doing so. Thank your followers for individual likes, either with a quick comment or simply a “like” of the comment. Facebook provides your audience with an average response time and it’s very important to keep that within an hour max.
5. Like, follow, and support similar local and regional businesses. As a small business owner myself, I like to think that we are all in this together. It can only benefit you and your business to like, follow, and support other small businesses in your area. You probably know a lot of the owners personally and there is always an opportunity for working together with cross-promotions, joint efforts, and strategic partnerships. Promote – Shop small, shop local.
6. Do not take anything personal! This is probably the most important key to your success with social media. People can be mean and with the semi-anonymity of the internet, it is going to happen. Always take the high road in these situations as it demonstrates that you are a professional and level-headed business owner. People are not always going to like your latest design, and everyone is a critic. Just remember, for every one person who does not like your work, there are several others who do. Keep moving forward and don’t take anything personal.
About the Author
Jeff Butler is a Digital Marketing Specialist and Sublimation Business Owner. He has been writing code and implementing online marketing strategies for over 20 years and has been in the Sublimation Industry for 18 years.