How Social Media Can Help Local Businesses Win More Customers

The internet isn’t just for rants and complaints anymore. Thanks to social media, consumers are becoming better informed than ever before-and they’re using social networks to learn about local businesses.

Getting Known in the Social Media World is Essential

It’s not just about word-of-mouth anymore, either. Consumers continue to use social media and review sites to find the best deals and most trustworthy businesses in their areas. A whopping 89% of consumers consider online reviews when deciding where to spend their money. That’s why it’s so important for local businesses to position themselves competitively on these sites right away, before they start losing customers simply because they don’t know the business exists.

Before you jump online and start sharing your latest pottery-making project on Facebook, however, it makes sense to know which platforms play host to potential customers. Here’s a quick list of the top platforms:

• Facebook (1 billion users)
• Foursquare (25 million users)
• LinkedIn (175 million users)
• Yelp (71 million visits per month)
• Angie’s List (4.9 million members)
• TripAdvisor (180 million unique monthly visitors and 63,000 business owners)

While the above sites are the most popular, you’ll also want to consider targeting other communities serving your region or market: Reddit, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok all have considerable user bases. Additionally, if your customers tend to spend time on Facebook but not on Yelp, for example, it may make more sense to focus your efforts on the former.

Keep Those Customers in Mind

Before you start updating your blog with frequent posts or creating a Facebook page, however, put yourself in your potential customers’ shoes. Which sites do they visit regularly? What kind of content will they be most interested in sharing and discussing with their friends-and which platforms allow them to do so? If you create a YouTube video, can you share it easily across multiple platforms, or does each community have its own set of rules and requirements? The more time you spend researching popular types of content within various communities now, the less time you’ll spend later worrying about what might not work for your business.

Want to work with someone that understands what goes into these social media platforms? Then turn to us here at SearchSEO Chicago. We can help guide your social media and connect with the customers you want.