“Interacting with consumers on social media is an important marketing strategy for small businesses,” says Duct Tape Marketing. Why? Because using social media content helps you to:

A) Build brand awareness

B) Attract more customers

C) Connect and engage with current customers

Fortunately for small businesses, social media content success doesn’t depend on how many followers they have. Rather, it all hinges on customer engagement. And because small businesses tend to be more community and individual-focused, it can make connecting with customers online a lot easier.

That being said, there are still a lot of small businesses that are trying to figure out how to make social media content work for them, especially when it comes to drumming up fresh ideas to fill up a feed with interesting content that keeps customers engaged.

“That content is what makes social media work. Without the interesting content, engagement drops off. And as engagement falls, so do all the benefits of social media – the traffic, the leads, the followers.”

~ Forbes 

That’s why we’ve gathered up some ideas to help you create content that captivates. Take a look:

1. Share Your Expertise

If you own an apparel boutique, you’re used to helping customers select outfits and dressing mannequins in attractive clothing combos.

Why not carry this expertise over to your social media channels by featuring a few key outfits. Whether you choose to share new items or seasonal picks, don’t forget to highlight the benefits of the pieces for different body types, as well as pointing out various ways to style the pieces together and separately. 

The Pink Lily boutique, for example, shared different ways to wear scarves with various outfits:

Sharing your expertise is a great way to not only help customers find clothes they feel confident wearing, but it will also help you establish yourself as an authority in your field and lend a hand in spreading the word about your talents with fashion.

Make Customers Your Partners Through Social Media Content

According to ThriveHive, one of the best ways to boost engagement on social media is to post consumer-generated content. “Not only does reposting customer content look good for the credibility of your business, but it’s also easy and doesn’t require your business to think of a new post for that day,” says the marketing company.

In a brilliant move, Bobbles & Lace Boutique came up with “Tag Tuesday” so customers could tag the boutique in their own posts for the chance to be featured in the company’s Instagram feed.

Sharing consumer-generated content is a great way to engage your current customers and turn followers into loyal customers.

3. Offer Exclusive Promotions to Followers

“Way back in 2015, 41% of Instagrammers said that they follow brands to have access to giveaways or exclusive offers,” says Neil Patel.

“Social media is also a good place to promote your sales and deals because you can provide a link that takes users directly to the promotion or a landing page where they can obtain the offer.” ~ ThriveHive  

Social Media content allows you to capture your followers’ attention with your posts, as well as get your followers to either like, favorite, or make comments below the posts.

4. Create a Sense of Urgency

“One of the best ways to make more conversions and sales is to create a sense of urgency in your marketing,” says Search Engine Journal. “The longer someone deliberates over whether to buy your product or service, the more likely it is that they’ll talk themselves out of it.”

Use social media content to create a sense of urgency in your audience—whether you’re having a limited time offer or pushing a product or service that might not be available in the future—and people will be more likely to hurry down the path to purchase.

5. Feature a Product of the Day

Showcase a favorite, popular, or new item and tell shoppers what makes it so special. You can even take it a step further and offer a “deal of the day” for your social tribe.

Using strong copy, along with a compelling call to action, increases the odds that your audience will click to make a purchase instead of clicking away from your post. 

Conclusion

“Social media is one of the best ways to connect with fans and potential customers,” says Hootsuite. “If you don’t have a presence on the main networks, you’re missing out on an audience that’s ready and willing to connect with your brand.”

Using social media content gives you the opportunity to raise awareness about your boutique, feature your products and/or services in a compelling way, and engage with new and loyal customers. 

Great social media content makes social media effective. Without it, engagement falters, along with traffic, leads, and followers. Use the five tips above to create social media posts that capture attention and encourage sales.

Learn more about social media content and how Rain Retail can help you.