We've said it before and we'll say it again: in today's world, being on social media is a necessity. 74% of consumers rely on social media networks to help them make purchasing decisions. On social media, you have the ability to directly communicate with your customers, creating loyalty and getting your business out there. It's a great tool to promote new arrangements, sales, and services, as well as showing your business's personality in a fun way. By maintaining a positive reputation online, your business gains credibility with the 71% of consumers who are more likely to make purchases based on social media referrals.

Social media can be a tough nut to crack, but we've got a few quick, easy, and free ways to help you gain more likes, better engagement, and higher organic reach.

1. Invite People

This is one of the most underrated things you can do when it comes to social media for your business. Your friends and family are your biggest supporters, so make sure you've invited them all to like your business page! This helps your page attract an organic following and connect on a local level with your audience. It also allows you to receive more exposure! As the people you've invited to like your page begin to like and share your posts, your posts will spread into their friends' feeds. So get out there and start inviting!

Of course it's important to invite your friends directly on social media, but it's also a great idea to let your customers know about your social media pages when you see them in person!

2. Posting Time and Frequency

When you're first starting out, it's hard to know exactly when the best time to post is. But once you've got several posts under your belt, you can take a look at your Insights to get a better idea about when your audience is online. To get better engagement, schedule your posts for times when they are most likely to be seen. Experiment with this to see when you're receiving the most likes and comments until you find just the right time. Make sure you're keeping your posts relevant to the time they're published though. You don't want to make a post telling customers to “Call Today” when it's already after business hours!

So how often should you post? That really depends on your business. But make sure you're being consistent about it! It's not a great idea to post once and then wait 3 months before you post again. Your audience could forget about you during that time! You should be posting high-quality, engaging content frequently, but not so frequently that you're spamming your followers' feeds. At the bare minimum, you should be posting to Facebook at least once a week, but you'll see more engagement if you post on this platform daily. If your business uses Instagram, you'll want to post a similar amount there.

3. Use Good Images

Using good images is an absolute must in order to attract followers. So what makes an image “good?” Glad you asked. You should be using clear, non-blurry images that use good lighting. Make sure the background of the image isn't distracting viewers from the main focal point of the image. If possible, a clean background works the best and makes the item pictured stand out. Ensure that you're showing the full subject of your image, so don't crop your images too much!

4. Calls-to-Action

Using good calls-to-action is the best way to guide users into doing exactly what you want them to do. Want them to comment? Post a question and end your caption with “Let us know in the comments!” Want them to call you to set up an appointment? Say “Call today!” and make sure to provide your phone number in the caption. This creates a more cohesive and convenient experience for your followers. Users don't like to guess, so take the guesswork out for them with good CTAs.

5. Hashtags and Geotags

When used correctly, hashtags and geotags are a great way to get yourself in front of a new audience. But what exactly are they?

A hashtag is a searchable keyword that you can add to the caption of a post on most social media platforms. These make it easier for people to find your posts when searching for a specific hashtag that they're interested in. You can use hashtags to target the users you want to reach. For example, you could use the hashtag #weddingflowers to target customers who may be searching for that hashtag, so that those customers may see the post, like it, and consider using your shop for their wedding flowers. Hashtags are most often used by businesses on Instagram, where we suggest adding somewhere from 9 to 11 hashtags per post. Users can't search for specific hashtags on Facebook, so it may be best to leave them off of your posts there.

A geotag can be used to tag the location of your post. For instance, you could tag your business's specific location or even just the town you are in. This way, people searching for that location will see posts that have been made there. It's a great way to reach your local community and can even help you engage more with your customers! If someone geotags your business, take a moment to like or comment on their post to let them know you see them and you appreciate them.

When used correctly, hashtags and geotags are a great way to get yourself in front of a new audience.

6. Tagging

Tagging is a great way to get other businesses' followers to take notice of you! When you tag another business's account, you're linking a customer directly to that business. This helps create a convenient and cohesive user experience and helps build credibility. You'll also be expanding your reach to that business's audience, so it's a great way to gain new followers and customers. Not only that, but it creates an opportunity for collaboration between the two businesses!

7. Collaborations

Going hand-in-hand with tagging are collaborations. Seek out other businesses or organizations in your community and get involved! For example, you could volunteer at a local charity, take pictures of your time helping, and then post about it on Facebook, making sure to tag the charity's profile. It's mutually beneficial! Their organization will be getting in front of your audience, and you'll be getting in front of theirs. It's a win-win situation!

It can be difficult to get started on social media, but with these tips, you'll be gaining engagement and new followers in no time!