Running a small business? Developing a strong social media strategy can help you expand your client base and raise brand awareness. Check out this article for some social media guidelines to follow in order to grow your audience and keep them coming back for more.

When you’re running a small business, social media channels can serve as inexpensive means to promote your product/service, build a community around your brand, and gain new clients. More traditional forms of advertising, on the other hand, can quickly drain your budget. Moreover, social networks help you raise brand awareness and engage with potential customers is a less formal setting – which is ideal when you’re looking to build more meaningful relationships with your followers. A strong social media presence will support your efforts to showcase your brand, enhance company trustworthiness, and drive more sales.

While I’m not one for many rules or regulations, leveraging social media only works when you have a solid strategy in mind. It’s a good idea to define some clear social media guidelines to help you and your staff craft messages that stay true to your brand’s values. Posting chaotically and without any end goals in mind won’t help you grow your fan base. At best, you will waste time and become frustrated because you’re not getting any positive results. At worst, you can end up damaging your company’s image in the process and lose your clients’ loyalty. There are plenty of examples online of social media blunders that ended up costing companies big in terms of reputation and revenue.

When crafting a social media game plan, keep in mind that compelling content goes a long way when it comes to wooing potential customers and building your audience. Here are a few tips that will help you develop a page or profile worthy of following.

1. Find Your Voice

Impersonal, bland social media messages will get you nowhere. It’s important to craft your posts so that they convey the brand’s voice and stay true to its values. You need a consistent way to speak to your audience across all digital channels. A strong voice is also about the people behind the brand - the things that drive them and what they want to share with the world. Start by pinning down your core values and take it from there. Ask yourself how you want to make people feel or react about your product/service. For more advice on the subject, take a look here.

2. Post Regularly

It’s not enough to set up a few social media profiles, update them once in a blue moon, and wait for results. You need to post regularly if you want to build a following and keep then engaged. If you’re pressed by time, schedule your updates with the help of an app like Buffer or HootSuite. Also, use an editorial calendar to plan your posts at least one week in advance. This will also help you keep track of upcoming events or holidays relevant to your audience and incorporate them in your future messages.

3. Add Value

Although your main purpose of building a social media presence remains to generate new business, you shouldn’t be too self-promotional when using social networks. Sending updates about the company and your product/service is perfectly fine as long as you don’t overdo it. As a general rule of thumb, around 20 percent of your posts should consist of company-related messages. The other 80 percent should be about common interests you and your target audience share. Maybe you can post about a new development in your field, share a funny video with your followers, or send them to a list of useful resources they should check out.

Whenever you craft a new post, ask yourself if it’s useful for the recipient. Will it help them save a problem? Will it make them laugh? Will it make their life easier? If the answer to any of these questions is positive, then go ahead. If it’s not, I strongly advise you to reconsider. Always use your best judgment before sending out a tweet or updating your status.

4. Ignite Conversations

Social networks provide the perfect medium to ignite conversations with your fans. Find out what your audience truly wants and figure out ways to improve your current product/service. You can get immediate feedback and create a more powerful and honest relationship with your community. Ask fans for comments, suggestions, and thoughts. Be respectful and engage with them even when they provide criticisms. Negative comments are to be expected online, so figure out a professional way to deal with them.

5. Reward Followers

Loyalty should be rewarded. While your followers surely appreciate your well-crafted updates and our efforts to keep them informed and entertained, make sure you also provide perks for those who support your brand online. Special sales, coupons, discounts, giveaways – all these promotions go a long way when it comes to keeping followers happy.

6. Keep Security Up to Date

As Wolfpac Solutions points out in a blog post, even small businesses need social media controls to minimize the risk associated with someone hacking their account and damaging their reputation. Only allow trusted staffers to handle your company’s social media channels and choose strong passwords that you change regularly to protect against a cyber-attack. For a few more tips on the subject, take a look here.

Social media has become an imperative for any brand looking to generate buzz around their product/service. Unfortunately, not all businesses are making the most of it. Consider these tips and you will be off to a great start in the socialsphere. As long as you maintain a regular posting schedule and strive to deliver compelling content to your digital audience, the odds of being successful will be ever in your favor.