Let’s talk about Social Media.
Does Social Media impact overall sales for a small business in the first year?
Luna B’s started in May 2024. However, the business plan was written in August 2023 and an idea well before that. I’ve also spoken a bit about my professional experience and consistent collaborations with Marketing and Advertising teams. My initial thought on social media was that it was a free tool that could help spread our name and reach new customers. After almost 6 months of being in business, I’ve learned how social media can take a lot of hours and time away from more important aspects of the business. In the blog today, I wanted to write about my personal experiences, initial thoughts about using social media heavily for the business and start a conversation. Because isn’t that the point of a blog anyways!
I’m sure if you asked a Marketing Professional, they would say that frequent posts are necessary to get the brand in front of the customer. Posting 3-4 times a day is recommended in order to engage with new customers. Or at least based on the research I’ve done and advice from other business owners, that’s what was recommended. Does this annoy people though? To constantly see posts from the same business? That’s my concern. I can’t tell you how many times I have scrolled or hidden story’s because I keep seeing the same post dominating my Instagram or Facebook threads. I’ve also found that recently the new algorithm essentially pushes small business’ to post Reels on top of normal post, in order to have the post be visible to customers. It can take anywhere from a few hours to days to curate the perfect post. All of that work to result in one or two likes and limited interaction from new customers, due to not having a Reel? Sure, there are users who like every post and we are grateful for them, but the data shows that a majority of those likes do not result in direct sales or new customers. Unless you pay.
Ultimately, the question that I’ve struggled with is, How does constant social media posts boost or impact our sales? A majority of our customers have been earned from in person interactions, where we are able to show our brand and discuss how we stand out. It’s difficult to convey a brand online when you haven’t been in business long enough to adapt to customer needs. Even though I’ve worked with many different Marketing teams, it’s different when you as the business owner are doing all parts. I definitely give credit to Social Media Managers, but unfortunately many small business owners cannot afford those services. What are your thoughts, if you’re a small business owner or frequent social media user? Share your thoughts (ironically) on our post on Instagram or Facebook. If you’re a supporter or customer, how do you feel about seeing multiple post from the same business? Does it entice you to visit the site or do you only visit websites that you’re familiar with?
