The good-looking businesses of the world have it made. All those little bakeries, trendy boutiques and flower shops are easily able to dominate social sites because they produce sharable pictures. Even businesses that aren’t particularly picture-perfect but are fortunate enough to have a CEO who is easy on the eyes make out okay.
But what about businesses that just aren’t naturally photogenic? What about the plumbers, lawyers, mechanics and software programmers of the world? You might assume that these types of businesses – usually ones that offer a service instead of a product, or even a product that just doesn’t look flashy – simply can’t succeed on social media. You’re wrong! These businesses can and do succeed every day online; it just takes a bit of out-of-the-box thinking.
Feature Your Clients
It can be hard to find things to share with a B2B audience. Fortunately, you can get a lot of fodder out of showcasing your own clients – and they’ll be psyched about it, too! If you have a testimonials page, you can begin immediately by sharing things people have said about you; bonus points if you take the time to create a nice image to go with it using a tool like Pinstamatic. But even if you don’t, ask your customers if they’d like to be featured and you’re sure to get a positive response.
This technique works especially well on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter, sites where the B2B audience is strongest. Work your connections by tagging the businesses or people involved, and ask them to share with their audience, too.
Show What You Provide, Not What You Sell
One of the rookie mistakes that businesses make on social media is not showing what you provide, and it’s an error that even B2C companies with great product shots make. Rather than showing a picture of a not-so-photogenic bandsaw, show the beautiful trellis that was made using it. Consider the great things your product provides for whoever buys it, and be sure to share that with your audience on social media.
This technique works especially well on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where you can share a shot you just snapped with your phone. Simply point, shoot, perhaps throw on a filter, and post. In the description, share what your followers are seeing and use some hashtags. Never undervalue the clever use of a popular hashtag. Popular, or trending, hashtags vary by medium; check out Hashtags.org to see the latest Twitter trends.
Cater to Your Followers’ Interests
What is your ideal customer like? Chances are, as soon as you read that question, you had lightbulbs going off over your head. If you are creating the social presence for a plumber, you might curate resources and share images and blog posts having to do with home renovation and interior design. Don’t focus on the clogged drains and dirty toilets. Instead, present an image of the end goal: a happy customer with a beautiful home.
This technique was made for Pinterest (where you can create boards and share eye candy of all varieties), but works equally well on Twitter, StumbleUpon, Facebook or really any place a potential customer might see images and ideas related to your industry.
Make People Smile
People love things that make them laugh. See any good industry-relevant memes recently? Or do you perhaps have a creative side and a sense of humor to create your own? (Try Meme Generator or Pixelr if you don’t have access to any premium image editing tools.) If you consistently share things that make your audience guffaw, you’re bound to build up quite the loyal following (Think George Takei!)
For best results, try this on Facebook, Pinterest or StumbleUpon. These networks are more oriented for less-serious, more image-based shares.
Do Interesting Things
Your product or service is probably the most interesting thing in the world to you, but that doesn’t mean the same for your audience or even potential customers. Catch their attention by doing interesting things. Next time you have an office event or party, be sure someone attending has their camera out. Get buzz for doing a service to your community by holding Meetups or giving a free presentation. Or give back to local charities with donation drives; these can be tied to your social accounts by setting a goal number of likes or followers. The more new followers, the more you give back!
Although this technique works on pretty much any social network, your best bets will depend on the type of activity you’re doing. Sharing photos from your company picnic or upcoming event? Facebook and Twitter are a great place to reach your audience as well as to tag the participants. If you’re trying to generate buzz around a contest or social donation, Pinterest is a surprisingly good place to start, and trying Facebook won’t hurt either.
Clearly, even if your business is an underdog when it comes to photo ops, there are still many ways to maintain a successful social presence, if you are willing to make the effort. Now it’s your turn; what strategies have you used to promote a business that didn’t have shareable product shots already at its disposal? Share your experiences in the comments below.
