The way in which we shop and buy has changed dramatically over the past decade. According to a report published by Forbes, ecommerce sales in the U.S. reached $453 billion. Online sales of the total retail reached 44%. With such staggering statistics it is no wonder that consumers are turning to social media platforms to find exactly what they want.

Social media has made it easier for companies big and small to market their goods in front of a massive audience. With the right strategy small businesses can use social media giants like Instagram and TikTok to increase revenue.

Below, we outline top 6 tips that can help small businesses reach more audience on Instagram and TikTok.

 

1) Use your Instagram Story wisely.

The Instagram Story has been used by companies in advertising campaigns to promote products and engage with customers. This feature allows users to add text, drawings, stickers, GIFs, or video clips that appear one after another on the user’s personal story for their followers to see. Businesses can use this feature to explain how their product works or illustrate how to use it.

According to Gerrid Smith, CMO of JoyOrganics, Instagram marketing plan for small businesses is all about expanding your reach, brand awareness, and brand goodwill. These should be your aim and the measure you pay the most attention to, regardless of the content you’re posting. It’s time to rethink your strategy if your photographs and videos aren’t getting “liked” or shared.

Engagement is another important aspect of expanding your reach; you must actively manage your account and interact with other users. Start a discussion! Respond to those who leave comments on your blog posts! Demonstrate that you’re a contributing member of the Instagram community; this helps your business feel more genuine and relevant, especially to younger audiences.

You can post as much as you want for free on Instagram, but you can also pay to promote your content. This may be worthwhile depending on your budget and target customer. It is not, however, a condition for gaining a following.

 

2) Think Like a User on TikTok and make their experience better.

Users of the app TikTok spend an average of 37 minutes per day on this platform (Tik Tok’s Blog). Companies can do more than just post advertisements; they can create tutorials, riddles, and challenges as well as serve as a platform to take suggestions from their followers about products that are needed or ways in which they can improve. If you are looking for an easy way to increase revenue, use TikTok as your marketing tool!

Be genuine and demonstrate your abilities, advises Ryan Dalala of merge PDF.
According to Ryan, most people have no idea what you do on a daily basis, yet there’s a strong chance they’d find it fascinating. “Because we work in the IT sector, most people are unaware of what we do. We’ve been able to have some incredibly successful TikToks that have led followers onto other platforms or driven them to request quotations by being authentic and personable in how we display behind-the-scenes work.”

 

3) Top influencers hold the key to getting your business noticed on social media.

Influencers have become more effective than ever in promoting products and businesses to their networks. According to Klear Consumer Influence, for every $1 spent on influencer marketing campaigns, the firm expects a return of $6.80 when working with social media stars (Klear). Identify reputable influencers in your industry and work with them to increase revenue by using social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

According to Edward Mellet from wikijob.co.uk, you may still utilize TikTok for marketing even if your brand isn’t well-known. It all starts with good content planning and the use of the recommended practices listed below. Be genuine! The majority of social media users do not have access to high-end camera equipment or large production costs. They make stuff with their phones and their leisure that is true to themselves. Apply the same strategy to your own content. Users will feel linked to you and relate to you if you display your brand’s actual personality, which will increase trust.

Make use of the following two magical ingredients: Pets and children are usually the two factors that cause TikTok content to go popular. Because the platform’s audience is younger, there is a greater desire to watch amusing and engaging films featuring children and animals. Include a mascot or workplace pet in your article if your company has one. Also, consider having one of your team members’ children train you and video a hashtag challenge dance.

 

4) Make use of hashtags and tag popular accounts in your posts.

Hash-tagging a brand or product often leads to an increase in the post’s reach on Instagram. Approach this strategy carefully, however, as overusing hashtags can make your page look spammy and unattractive. To get the most out of this strategy, use hashtags that are related to your business but also popular. Likewise, be sure to tag other Instagram accounts when possible. Not only does this help increase the reach of your posts, it can also expose you to new audiences!

According to Himanshu Shrivasta, Marketing Manager at Designbro, you should be sure to always use the platform features properly. Geotags & hashtags helps a profile reach a wider audience. Geotags boost local discovery and can also be used as a supporting descriptor to your profile if the post is not about location.

 

5) Don’t forget about the Pinterest community.

Since Pinterest is a visual platform, businesses should take advantage of Instagram and TikTok to create images that will draw consumers in. You can do this by using colour schemes or fonts that match your brand’s style and creating posts with interesting captions. Use hashtags as well as the ‘@’ feature to tag popular accounts. If you are looking for an easy way to increase revenue, look no further than Pinterest.

 

6) Create a social calendar.

One of the most important social media strategies for small businesses is to create a calendar with key dates in mind. If your business does, for example, an annual sale or has an upcoming product launch you can use this information to plan the creation of promotional material on Instagram and TikTok. Remember to take advantage of holidays as well!

According to Olivia Tan, the co-founder of cocofax, the best social media tip for small businesses on Instagram and TikTok is to create a social media calendar. A social media calendar helps you post the right content to the right social channels at the right time. It should include a plan for your content mix. Try starting with the 80-20 rule. Use 80% of your content to inform, educate, or entertain your audience. Use the other 20% to promote your brand or sell your products.

Another great tip is to mix up your formats. Make sure to switch up your social post formats from time to time. If you usually post GIFs, try a JPG. If you normally post still images, try a video. And take advantage of all the formats within each social network, like Stories, or Reels, or Live video. For one thing, this helps you learn which formats work best for different types of content and for different social networks.