As a small business owner, you don’t need to be told that social media is a vital marketing tool, and during these challenging times, it is more important than ever. After all, with people at home, you have a captive audience of people looking for ways to connect and keep themselves busy.

 

 

The Big Question:

 

Currently, the big question for customer framers is, “How do I use social media during this downtime to stay in front of my customers and community?” During these times, TruVue will be sharing tips and insights about how you can leverage social media to help you keep in touch with your community and bounce back once we’re all open for business again.

 

 

To start, if your business already has a presence on Facebook, that’s great. The world’s most popular social media platform is where most customer framers begin. Facebook is a great place for building community and keeping in in touch with a personal feel. In the past year or two, there have been big changes in how Facebook presents content, and to the number of people, any given post will reach. Your Facebook page is still a great place for customers to find you and for you to interact with them. But if it’s the only social network you’re investing your time and efforts in, then you may be missing a large portion of your potential audience.

 

To help you get started, here’s a quick primer on the big three social networks and how you can use them to keep in touch.

 

 

Facebook: The Connector

 

Savvy business owners use Facebook as a “home base” to tell stories about their company, nurture relationships with customers, and help nudge them towards purchases.  Today, the first two are of prime importance; now is not the time for a sales pitch. Instead, use it to keep in touch and to keep people informed. This could include information about special hours, services such as curbside pickup or online design sessions, and measures you and your staff are taking to keep everyone safe. In the spirit of being a helpful resource, you could also share ideas about art projects for homeschooling, links to virtual museum tours, and sources for Zoom meeting backgrounds.

 

 

If you do post sales-oriented content, present it with a sympathetic view and an eye towards the future. For example, “You’ve been spending a lot of time in your home office. Maybe it’s time to freshen up the walls?” or “If you’re like us, you’ve been spending some of your time at home looking through old pictures. We’ll be here to help you preserve them.”

 

 

Instagram: The Engager

 

Of the major social networks, Instagram is the most visual, making it a natural fit for custom framers. Normally it’s a great place to show off your talent, but more than likely, you are not doing much framing at the moment. Use this as an opportunity to revisit old favorites with #tbt, or Throwback Thursday, especially if you can tie it to timely events. These may include the graduations and weddings that would normally be taking place now, along with sporting events that have been canceled or postponed. Include a thought along the lines of “Since we can’t be at the game, let’s enjoy…”

 

 

Instagram is also a great place to share pictures of yourself and your staff with an uplifting message or graphics with similar messages. Popular sentiments include “We’re in this together” “We’re here for you” and similar upbeat messages.

 

 

Twitter: The Reactor

 

Twitter is all about the moment at hand, the place for sharing and commenting on the news of the day and announcing events. It’s a busy place, and things tend to come and go quickly, making relevant engagement a challenge for companies of all sizes. It’s a good place to share (non-political!) news about business re-opening plans from your local government and announcements about your own return to business. Also, many large brands use Twitter as an extension of their customer service department and consumers often expect to find their favorite brands there. If you have a Twitter presence, be sure to monitor it regularly to respond to customers reaching out to you there.

 

 

We hope you find these thoughts about using social media in these challenging times useful. Stay tuned for more to come, and remember, we are here for you, and we are all in this together.