Social Media Tips For Businesses
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Courthouse Café owner Justin McDaniel shares social media tips with local business owners during Monday’s Water Valley Main Street Association Lunch and Learn at the BankFirst Community Room.
WATER VALLEY — For Courthouse Café owner Justin McDaniel, successful social media marketing starts with looking beyond the walls of his own business.
“The better the town, the better your business,” McDaniel told local business owners Monday. “The better the businesses around you, the better your business.”
McDaniel was the featured speaker for the Water Valley Main Street Association’s Lunch and Learn at the BankFirst Community Room. His program, “Social Media Strategies,” focused on practical ways small businesses can use Facebook, Instagram and other online tools to attract customers.
One of those strategies is selling Water Valley along with the business.
“The more eyes we have on Water Valley, the better for everybody,” McDaniel said.
That broader reach is important to his own business. McDaniel estimated that about 40% of Courthouse Café’s customers come from Oxford, with other customers coming from Batesville and surrounding communities.
He said the growing number of restaurants and other businesses in Water Valley is helping make the community more of a destination. Rather than worrying about dividing a limited number of local customers among competing businesses, attracting more visitors creates opportunities for everyone.
McDaniel regularly incorporates Water Valley into photographs and videos, using recognizable local landmarks and identifying the community early in videos to help his posts reach people outside the area.
He also urged business owners to let some personality show through their social media.
That can mean showing owners and employees, sharing behind-the-scenes activity or featuring customers. McDaniel said businesses should maintain a professional image without stripping away the personality and local character that help customers form a connection with them.
Video has become one of his most important tools for reaching new customers. McDaniel admitted he was reluctant to begin making videos but changed his approach after seeing how well they performed.
Reels and other short videos are particularly useful because social media platforms can place them in front of people who don’t already follow a business, he said.
McDaniel cautioned against using social media only to advertise sales. He encouraged businesses to post consistently and respond to comments.
He also advised owners not to become overly concerned with likes and follower counts. Instead, they should watch how many people their content reaches and whether those posts lead customers to take the next step.
Making that next step easy is important.
McDaniel said one of his frustrations is discovering an interesting restaurant or business online and then having difficulty determining where it is located. Location, hours and contact information should be readily available.
McDaniel summarized his advice in three points: be human, be local and make it easy for customers.
