Small Business Owners: Retain and Grow Clients during a Pandemic

 Thankfully today, connecting with clients over social media is a simple, quick, and effective way to maintain relationships. As the popularity of social media grows, marketing and outreach through online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are becoming increasingly important. Here are few tips about interacting with clients and maintaining an engaging profile on social media.

• Comment on posts clients tag you in!
  • Get people to tag you in their posts, and give them incentive to do so through making sure you response and engage with each one.
    
  • Commenting and liking your clients’ posts on social media shows that you are interested in them individually, and spending a few minutes each day interacting on social media can help you maintain client relationships in the long run.
  • For example, if a client posts and tags you, respond either welcoming them back to your business or supporting them. 

• Keep up with your own account and post on a regular schedule
  • Maintaining a strong social media presence requires posting regularly. You can choose to post, one, twice, or multiple times a day, but it is important to stay consistent so that your clients can expect when to see your posts.
  • Make sure that you also post aesthetically similar content (colour-scheme-wise and graphics-wise to curate a cohesive theme and brand on your page!)
• Answer questions on social media
  • Every week or so, allow clients to ask questions and post the answers on your Facebook or Instagram story. Posting the answers to client questions shows not only that you are responsive to clients but also can help attract new potential clients with similar questions. 
  • On Instagram just go to the story button, click on the sticker button, and find “Questions.” On Facebook, click the plus button above “create a story” then click “create a photo story,” and lastly, click “share to story.”

• Create/join groups with interests that align with those of your business
  • On Facebook, you can create or join groups that are relevant to your business. You can join groups that pertain to your business’ interests or create new discussion/focus groups to gain feedback from clients and create conversation among your client base.
  • Examples of D.C. area small business groups include “Small Business Owners – DMV (DC, Maryland & Virginia),” “DMV Small Business Support Group,” and “NOVA Small Business Exchange.”

• Post about the latest news related to your business
  • Sharing links with news related to your business can be a simple, engaging post for clients. For instance, a small gym might post a news story with the latest information about nutrition and fitness. You can post a wide variety of articles ranging from those that cover national news to those focused on the D.C. area.

There are so many ways to stay in touch with clients during a pandemic, especially with the help of modern day technology. At the end of the day, make sure you ultimately stay active on your social media, reach out to clients, answer questions, and engage with them as much as possible.