3 Social Media Best Practices Every Lethbridge Business Should Follow

Creating & maintaining a social media presence for your business feels a lot like parenting. 

There’s no manual. 

You learn as you go. 

It changes every day. 

And — arguably the hardest part — there is no single right way to go about it.

Social media marketing in Lethbridge, Alberta, is similar to social media marketing in other cities, but there are few things you should keep in mind when creating your strategy, especially if your products or services cater to a local audience.

• Be aware of local events. Staying up to date on events and news in Lethbridge will help you create timely & relevant content. This can help increase engagement and build a stronger connection with your community.
  
  (A great place to watch? The Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce social channels, of course!)
   

• Collaborate with other local businesses. Partnering with other businesses (including bloggers, social media influencers, and community leaders) in the Lethbridge area can help increase your reach and exposure on social media. Consider cross-promotions, collaborative content, and joint events.
   

• Focus on local search engine optimization. This sounds complicated, but simple things like adding your location to your profile, using local keywords in your content, and getting local reviews have a big impact on how your business appears in search results.
  
  (Count the number of times we said Lethbridge in this post! Yes, we’re doing it too.)

This quick step-by-step guide will help you discover what will work best for you when it comes to your marketing efforts, no matter where you are located. 

1. Define your goals.

Before diving in to create any social media content, it’s important to define what you want to achieve with your digital presence.

Are you trying to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Generate leads?

Your goals will inform exactly what type of content you should be posting to your social media channels — and what metrics you should track to ensure that your strategy is working.

Challenge yourself to measure your social media performance regularly to see what’s working and what’s not. Your analytics will tell you how many people you are reaching, whether or not they are engaging with your brand, and most importantly, whether they are buying from you.

Track this information, and adjust your strategy accordingly. 

2. Know your audience.

By understanding your buyer persona, you can tailor your marketing to reach your perfect fit person. Consider the demographics of the Lethbridge market — their culture, their interests, and their pain points.

Your content needs to be useful to your audience. Whether it’s informative, entertaining, or inspiring, knowing who your person is inside out will help you create content that resonates with them. 

You always want to be posting a blend of value-packed content, along with posts that call your community into working with or purchasing from you.

Not all social media platforms were created equal, and contrary to popular belief, your business does not need to be on every platform. That brings us right to…

3. Be consistent.

The key to achieving any goal is consistency, and a strong social media presence is no different. Create a content calendar that’s sustainable for you to manage, and post regularly to keep your business top of mind for your community.

Social media automation tools can help you save time by scheduling posts in advance.

But the biggest time saver that most businesses aren’t using?

Repurposing your content. Don’t be afraid to recycle your high-performing content a few times a year. Don’t be shy about repurposing it across multiple platforms. This helps you maximize your reach, while reducing the amount of time you spend creating content.

BONUS TIP: Join the Chamber of Commerce!

That’s right. Joining the Chamber of Commerce can provide several benefits to you when it comes to social media marketing, specifically in Lethbridge:

1. We offer regular business training seminars to our members, and social media marketing is offered underneath that umbrella. These sessions are here to help you improve your social media skills, learn about the latest trends, and develop an effective strategy.
    

2. The Chamber of Commerce can help promote your business on our social channels, as well as in our email newsletter. This can help increase visibility, awareness, and clout for your brand in the Lethbridge business community.
    

By taking advantage of these resources, you as a member of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce can improve your social media presence and reach your perfect fit person more effectively.

Starting and running a business is hard enough as it is. You don’t need to make it harder by going it alone! 

Join the Chamber of Commerce now! You’ll be glad you did.