• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Social Media Examiner

Your Guide to the Marketing Jungle

  • 🔥 Free Newsletter
  • 🎙️ Podcasts
    • Social Media Marketing Podcast
    • AI Explored Podcast
    • Social Media Marketing Talk Show
    • Our YouTube Channel
  • 🌟 AI Society
  • 🗓️ Marketing Conference
  • đź‘‹ About Us
    • Marketing Events
  • Search
  • Embrace AI & MarketingGet Ongoing Training & SupportBEGIN YOUR JOURNEY NOW

    3 Social Media Tactics for Businesses That Struggle With Social

    by Jenny Beightol / October 25, 2016

    social media how toAre you struggling to connect with your audience on social media?

    Do you feel like social media won't work for your business?

    It's not easy to put every business on social media, but the right approach can help even the most difficult cases reach their customers.

    In this article, you'll discover three ways any business can use social media.

    ways to market unique business on social media
    Discover three social tactics for businesses that struggle to connect.

    #1: Tell an Outside-the-Box Story

    Many marketers create content around topics that relate to their value proposition, but that might be difficult to do if you're in a “boring” industry. The good news is that even if your industry isn't inherently exciting, you can still create content that appeals to your audience.

    Look to Shoulder Niches

    Suppose you're a timber merchant. You might start with content about wood quality, FAQs about timber, and suggestions on what to look for when buying timber. However, these ideas can only go so far.

    This is where “shoulder niches” come in. Consider niches that are related to your industry. For example, you might create detailed blog posts and videos that show how to build different kinds of furniture. This type of content will attract top-of-funnel traffic and encourage social sharing to boost your reach.

    To generate content ideas for your business, grab a pen and paper and jot down your industry in the middle of the page. Then add related keywords and topics around your industry keyword until you find an idea you can research further. For the timber example, you might end up with something like this:

    brainstorm content ideas
    Brainstorm content ideas for your business.

    Craft a Unique Narrative

    Another way to appeal to your target audience is to tell a story. Zendesk effectively transformed the “boring” customer service space with their story of support ticket #24.

    This lighthearted video shows the blossoming connection between a support rep and his customer. The video generated a huge amount of media attention and social shares, but most importantly, it attracted Zendesk's ideal customers.

    AI Business Society

    Ready to Unlock AI Marketing Breakthroughs?

    If you’re like most of us, you are trying to figure out how to use AI in your marketing. Here's the solution: The AI Business Society—a new AI marketing community from your friends at Social Media Examiner.

    The AI Business Society is the place to discover how to apply AI in your work. When you join, you'll boost your productivity, unlock your creativity, and make connections with other marketers on a similar journey.

    I'M READY TO BECOME AN AI-POWERED MARKETER

    Measuring results for this type of content depends on the format. If you've created a video, you'll want to measure views, engagement, and referral traffic. For a long-form blog post, track engagement metrics such as time on page and number of users. Make sure to include the all-important call to action, and track the conversion rate of readers to subscribers and leads.

    #2: Deliver a Quick Call to Action Via Micro-content

    People have short attention spans. Studies show that 50% of users stay on a website for less than 10 seconds. Short-form educational and entertaining content, called micro-content, can help appeal to a distracted audience.

    How do you create micro-content that has a high chance of going viral? Make the content short, keep text to a minimum, and be sure to accompany it with visuals.

    Discover Proven Marketing Strategies and Tips

    Want to go even deeper with your marketing? Check out the Social Media Marketing Podcast! Publishing weekly since 2012, the Social Media Marketing Podcast helps you navigate the constantly changing marketing jungle, with expert interviews from marketing pros.

    But don’t let the name fool you. This show is about a lot more than just social media marketing. With over 600 episodes and millions of downloads each year, this show has been a trusted source for marketers for well over a decade.

    CHECK OUT THE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PODCAST NOW

    Always include a call to action as well. The connection you make with your audience should be the first step to tangible business goals. Micro-content should lead to a micro-yes, whether that's clicking a link or providing an email address.

    This Books-A-Million Instagram post grabs attention with a creative visual, the text is easy to digest, and it has a clear call to action.

    books a million instagram post
    Grab attention with bite-sized, consumable content.

    With your calls to action in place, it's easy to measure performance. Use UTM codes and shorten links to track each campaign. You can do this in Google Analytics under Acquisition > Campaigns > All Campaigns.

    #3: Connect in Real Time With Live Video

    Live video is a powerful addition to the customer retention toolbox that makes one-to-one connections even stronger. While Periscope is a key player, Facebook Live is becoming increasingly popular. Whenever you go live on Facebook, your existing fan base is notified.

    What content should you stream live? Hold live Q&As to give customers a platform to post questions and get answers in real time. Broadcast product launches live to give your audience a sneak peek at new releases and features, making them feel part of something exclusive.

    You can also show customers what your business looks like behind closed doors. Allow employees to express their personalities so they can form connections with customers. This is the foundation for increasing customer loyalty on social media.

    General Electric has adopted the full nature of Facebook Live, sharing what happens behind the scenes with their audience. They used Facebook Live for “Drone Week” during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Through the eyes of a drone, they gave Facebook Live viewers a rarely seen perspective of how GE's infrastructure helped make the Olympic Games run.

    ge facebook live for drone week
    Give your fans a behind-the-scenes look at your business.

    Measuring live video engagement on platforms like Facebook is easy, and the viewer count is displayed within the content.

    Conclusion

    Social media marketing requires patience if you're trying to gain traction organically. That's why many business owners and marketers supplement those efforts with paid social media advertising.

    There are several ways to test ads on a small budget before scaling up. The first is to amplify your best-performing content. Look through your Google Analytics reports and run your domain through BuzzSumo. Set up campaigns that distribute the content with the highest engagement and conversion rates.

    The second approach is to go beyond content and test campaigns that focus on bottom-of-funnel goals. Sharing free trials or discount coupons via Facebook or Twitter can help you generate qualified leads at all stages of the sales cycle.

    Ad targeting is an area that many small- and medium-sized businesses underestimate. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn all offer granular demographic and psychographic targeting information. For instance, to welcome remote workers into their store, a coffee shop could advertise to people ages 16 to 30 who like business and startup thought leaders.

    Be sure to A/B test different approaches and rotate your ads regularly. See what copy, calls to action, and designs work best, and then double down on those with high conversion rates.

    What do you think? How do you create content to appeal to your target audience? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

    Tips on three social media tactics any business can use.
    Tips on three social media tactics any business can use.
    AI EXPLORED

    Curious About How to Use AI?

    Our newest show, AI Explored, might be just what you're looking for. It's for marketers, creators, and entrepreneurs who want to understand how to use AI in their business.

    It's hosted by Michael Stelzner and explores this exciting new frontier in easy-to-understand terms.

    Pull up your favorite podcast app and search for AI Explored. Or click the button below for more information.

    I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AI

    Tags: Social Media Strategy

    About the authorJenny Beightol

    Jenny Beightol is the Director of Words & Reputations at Belly. Subscribe to The Local Lowdown for the latest marketing & retention tips delivered to your inbox twice a month.
    Other posts by Jenny Beightol »

    Get Social Media Examiner’s Future Articles in Your Inbox!

    Get our latest articles delivered to your email inbox and get the FREE Social Media Marketing Industry Report (43 pages, 50+ charts)!

    Industry Report Cover

    Worth Exploring:

    Facebook

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Instagram

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    YouTube

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Linkedin

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    AI

    Next Frontier Explore More →

    Social Media Marketing Industry Report

    Get Free Report →

    Social Marketing Trends

    The data you've been missing!

    Need a new plan? Discover how marketers plan to change their social activities in the 17th annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report. It reveals what marketers have planned for their social activities, content marketing, and more! Get this free report now and never miss another great article from us. Join more than 385,000 marketers!

    Simply click the button below to get the free report:

    Footer

    Your Guide to the Marketing Jungle
    Copyright © 2025 Social Media Examiner®
    All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy.

    Helpful Links

    • About us
    • Our content via email
    • Our podcasts
    • Our YouTube channel
    • Our live show
    • Our social media marketing industry report
    • Our generative AI marketing industry report
    • Sponsorship opportunities
    • RSS