Get the Most Out of Social Media

There is a lot of noise surrounding social media, which can make it tough to cut through the static and get down to the nitty-gritty that matters to you. It doesn't help that change is the only constant when it comes to the Internet, especially regarding marketing. Here are a few must-read tips and some helpful information to get you conquering the social media movement without having to slog through 1,000 "Do and Don't" articles.

Use YouTube

While many social media sites require you to purchase ad space, YouTube is still a free platform that helps you get the word out about your handmade creations. Of course, you CAN still purchase ad space on YouTube, but uploading your videos costs you nothing. Not only is YouTube uploading free, but it's fairly easy to use with plenty of quick-and-easy guides available on the basics. There are additional benefits to using YouTube, too. First, a video is an easily digestible piece of content for your busy customers. Second, YouTube videos are incredibly easy to share. This means you can spread your video by posting it to all your other social media platforms, and your followers can as well just by using the convenient "SHARE" button built into every video. A third benefit of using YouTube is that it starts to establish credibility and authority in your field. Lastly, people love watching videos! Videos are a great way for you to share solutions to problems, demonstrate talent, showcase your uniqueness, teach something and have fun while doing it.

Expect to Pay for Ads

While YouTube is free, and that's great for the aspiring jewelry seller, if you want to get serious, expect to pay for ad space on popular social media sites such as Facebook. Of course, you don't HAVE to pay to "boost" your ads, but the truth is, the algorithm is set up so those who pay see more engagement for their dollars spent. It's not just Facebook. Google search algorithms change--a lot. Big companies invest big money in figuring out the best SEO (search engine optimization) practices to keep their names showing at the top of the list on all kinds of Google search pages. Often, companies also invest by outright purchasing ad space that shows up before organic Google search results. While you're not going to hire an entire SEO team to get your name at the top of the list, it's still wise to think about ad prices. It will probably be worth boosting a few Facebook posts to extend your reach now and again, especially before major holidays when potential customers are likely to purchase jewelry.

Pay Attention to Reviews

According to some experts, a whopping 97% of people read reviews of local businesses. Those reviews help consumers decide what they will buy and whom they will buy it from. Humans are naturally social creatures, and we look to other people's experiences where ours may be lacking about a particular subject. Businesses or people with excellent reviews see an uptick in sales, even if they are a little more expensive than the competitors, because people trust they will be getting some kind of superior service or product that is worth the price. Reviews give customers a platform to air the good and the bad. One online survey said more than 90% of the respondents have avoided a business based on a negative review.

Of course, you can't control what everyone says, but you can keep reviews in mind when representing your handmade business. Pay attention to reviews on sites such as Facebook and Yelp. Boost your reviews by politely encouraging customers to leave a comment and thanking them for doing so. Offer coupons or other incentives for taking the time to leave reviews. Make it easy for customers to leave those reviews by claiming your business on social media sites and providing directions to review locations on the receipt or cards included with purchases. Respond to reviews honestly and with the intention to resolve issues or address concerns. Showing you care about what your customers say can influence people positively, even if a review didn't start out glowing.

Think Cross-Platform and Use a Schedule

From blog sites to YouTube, you want to be posting your content across the World Wide Web. Remember how we mentioned YouTube is great because you can share your own content on your other social media sites? You want to get your content out and available to your customers on the platforms they're engaged with, including Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and blog sites. You don't need to master all these sites to benefit from them. However, you should spend time determining which sites best align with the content you want to share. Consider also the sites where your customers are most active. Be realistic about which sites you're likely to make sales from and which are designed more about brand building and customer conversation.

This can all seem daunting, especially since you need to post consistently and often. After all, you want to spend your time creating and connecting with people, not hiding behind a computer screen posting to a ton of platforms. Luckily, this all can be made more manageable by getting yourself on a posting schedule. Some social media platforms, such as Facebook, have built-in posting tools, which means you can schedule posts out for a few days, a week, or longer, and then just let the site do its thing, checking the comments and reviews as you can. Not all sites have this feature, though, and that's where social media management tools can help you out. Posting consistently and across the various platforms ensures you are staying visible to your followers, and your content can be readily shared. It also shows your customers that you are invested in bringing them what they're looking for, whether it's beautiful jewelry or other handmade products.

Obviously, this isn't the be-all, end-all list of "how to social media," but it's solid groundwork to start building (or building up) your small business' influence out on social platforms. Always remember that the point is to have fun, get connected with people and create authentic experiences for your customers.