Social Media Marketing is no secret. Businesses everywhere have been utilising it effectively for years now, but one thing that a lot don’t seem to understand is how effective that platform can be with a local focus on the surrounding community, or at the very least how to be useful in that sense. So today we’re going over a few very quick Sunshine Coast specific but easily translatable tips on how to be locally relevant and engaging with your customers across the big three platforms: Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. However, first a few general tips.
Community
The best way to give the impression online that you are a part of your local community if you’re engaging in Social Media Marketing on the Sunshine Coast is to get out there and become a part of your community. When was the last time you helped raise money for a local charity? Where is the last place you all went out for lunch as a team? Do you do Friday drinks at the Caloundra Bowls Club or a local RSL? Photo and credibility opportunities abound when you interact with your neighbours and the people who live around the business. It might sound obvious, and if so then you’re likely doing the right thing. But if you’re doing it aimlessly, then the content you produce will be sporadic in terms of quality. Try to give some forethought to these interactions and activities so that you can be more consistent. This writer has worked at more than one workplace where we would put on the occasional BBQ for other businesses and residents in the local area and the result of this was a huge pool of photos, videos, soundbites, blog topics, business relationships and brand awareness that we’d have been hard-pressed to find any other way.
Community is important for brick and mortar businesses especially because it’s their immediate lifeblood/customer base. However there are reasons for national and online businesses to focus on their community as well. To start with it humanises your image. In the age of social media advertising you need to exude a level of personability that stops you from sticking out like a sore advertising thumb amongst your customers’ social space. You might not be able to be a part of their local community, but you can show that you are a community of real people in relatable terms. This immediately warms those potential customers up to what you have to say next.
This platform first and foremost is best for telling stories. Sure, you can post photos and videos on Instagram, but it’s not exactly a “wordy” platform however much some may try to use it in that way. Often what you’ll find is that those who are posting large descriptions for posts on Instagram are mostly doing it because that description will auto-post along with the photo through to Facebook, where the audience is more likely to read. This is best when you’re helping out around town with charities or other general community-based activities. It’s also best for introducing staff members and helping people get to know what you stand for and offer in terms of products or services. You can also geologically target these posts if you’re planning to boost them to make sure that they’re only seen by the people who matter.
Too many people view Instagram as just another social platform because they underestimate the genuine love for great images amongst its users. When it comes to being locally relevant when you’re based somewhere like the Sunshine Coast, then it should be a no-brainer that a few great beach shots are great to get you started. No-one hates that. However, add to that your favourite local lunch spot, local events and pictures from around the office, and you’ll be looking like a business populated with real flesh and blood locals in no time! Lastly, one of the most effective ways to ensure that locals see these posts is to tag yourself to a location in the area. It can be anything from your office to the general suburb you’re in, or wherever you are while out and about in the neighbourhood participating in work or other local events.
This one might not always seem as immediately intuitive as other channels, but once you understand the angle, it gets much easier. Do you have local suppliers? Are you partnered with any other local businesses? Does your industry have local events? Do you have great relationships with the people in that industry? All of this can inspire content that is LinkedIn specific. There’s also an opportunity to try to participate in the conversations surrounding your industry with video content. Video content on LinkedIn is growing rapidly at the moment as business specific conversations are more easily able to be had this way given how easy it’s becoming to produce video blogs. Sponsored posts will also work for this platform in a geo-targeted sense, so it has become a simple matter of having something to say or contribute to local business issues.
These are all naturally broad ideas for you to consider when trying to target your local community. However, if you’re trying to do your best with Social Media Marketing around the Sunshine Coast (or anywhere else) then keeping them in mind when looking at your social media strategy will help the ideas flow better as you try to engage your audiences.
As always, if you’d like to know more about any of the above or general social advertising in more detail then feel free to contact us today and start a conversation!
