Social media marketing has become much more competitive in recent years, so for your small IT business to be seen among the crowd, there are some best practices that will help. Selling IT solutions and services could include things like consulting, application and product development, or cyber security depending on the areas your business focuses on. There may even be opportunities for cross selling to cloud computing or managed IT support.
What are the right social channels for small IT companies?
There are a number of social media platforms which can be used to raise awareness of your business and generate a following of potential customers. But for IT companies, choosing the right channels may make all the difference. Linkedin is a business-focused platform and if your company is concerned with winning IT management contracts from larger businesses, then it may be the platform for you.
If you want to build your business presence and raise awareness, Twitter may be a solid bet as most account holders use the platform to learn about and follow their favourite brands. Video marketing is coming to the fore, and more consumers are gravitating towards this media format. While its easy to dismiss platforms like TikTok as a young persons thing, the truth is that many brands are establishing a solid presence on the platform and amassing thousands of followers.
When choosing the platforms to use for your small IT business, consider the social media channels that your customer base is likely to use. It can be helpful to start with two social platforms and build from there.
Social media for IT business services
With no shortage of services to promote, it is important that small IT businesses do not lose sight of their social media goals and over promote to their audience. It is a good way to lose followers fast. Consumers want to buy, but they don’y like being sold, so it is necessary to maintain a good balance with posted content and not make it too sales oriented. Posts should be made that reflect the business values or that share content which goes beyond that of promotional material.
Sharing information that is useful or helpful will attract more users and give your small IT business a chance to show its expertise in different areas without looking as though you only care about gaining new business. Articles and how to posts can be shared on certain channels to present longer form content to users who are looking for more in-depth detail around topics.
A good rule to go by is that the majority of your social media posts should be anything BUT promotional. 20% or less is a good guideline for content that is posted purely for marketing or sales purposes. Any more than that just seems over the top or pushy.
Should small IT businesses outsource social media management?
The answer to this will depend on what your small IT business is trying to achieve, and how much time leaders or managers have to devote to managing social accounts and content creation. Keeping a content calender filled takes a substantial amount of time, and erratic posting or accounts that are not updated for extended periods can cause followers to lose interest and click unfollow.
Social media management companies can support small IT companies with their social media presence, generating engaging and clickworthy content on their behalf. This takes the pressure off small business owners who are typically already spinning a fair number of plates and makes sure their accounts are kept filled.
Outsourcing hands the content generation to another business, but that doesn’t mean it has to be completely on auto pilot. IT business posts can be checked and approved by the company before anything goes live to ensure the content posted is conveying the appropriate brand message.
In addition, social media marketing companies have an entire team of designers at their disposal who can quickly generate stunning graphics and posts at half the speed that an IT business manager can. This time-saving factor is appealing to many business owners who need to focus on business growth and management.
Can IT businesses gain clients from social media?
Many businesses small and large have a steady stream of leads and enquires all generated from their social accounts. Social media channels come with a number of tools including analytics to monitor the post that get the best results or response. This information can be used to create similar content that will get comments and replies.
Answering questions from followers and providing help builds a trust and loyalty that can convert users into paying customers. Things like user generated content is extremely well received and shows opinions and positive reactions from current customers who use your products or services and as people trust their peers more than corporations, this is good news for IT businesses small or large.
How small IT businesses can boost brand awareness
Growing a brand online takes time, effort, and commitment, and keeping numerous social accounts well maintained is a large part of building an online presence. Small IT businesses need to be meticulous about their social account information and make sure that all details are accurate. Things like business address, phone numbers, and email addresses should all be verified, and links to your website should take you to the right location, not a 404 page.
Regular posting of quality content is one of the fastest ways to raise awareness of your brand, remember to use things like tags or hashtags to expand reach even further. With a bit of careful positioning you may be able to put your content in front of entirely new markets and users. Post content that shows who your small IT business is and what it does. Going behind the scenes to help followers ‘meet’ staff can build deeper and more positive connection with users.
Make sure that all content you post accurately reflects your brand values and creates a positive impression of your business online. Share what your business stands for and any social or community issues that you are passionate about and make sure any imagery or graphics that you use is brand appropriate.
Isn’t outsourcing social media management expensive?
For small IT businesses, expenditure is often a factor with limited funds available for marketing purposes. Newer or start up businesses may be managing complicated financial restrictions and small companies may be operating within a small or tight budget. However, the good news is that social media management is relatively inexpensive when you consider the value of potential leads and saved time across the entire company.
Many small IT businesses find that outsourcing their social media management often proves to be more productive and cost effective than keeping it in house and enables them to utilize social media channels to their full potential. Depending on the number of channels and the desired posting schedule, IT businesses may find that they are able to meet the cost of monthly social media management without over extending their budget.
Contact Smarcomms today for help with social media management for your small IT company.