Social Media: Our (not so) secret marketing weapon
What is the value of social media to small businesses?
We don’t have a national or global statistic — but we can give you one from our own experience:
Around 45% of our new business last month came directly from our social media presence.
At Talbot Jones Risk Solutions, we’re not marketing experts. We still have plenty to learn and many ideas to try.
But we’re passionate about encouraging other small and medium businesses to get online and get active — because social media is an affordable and effective way to meet, engage, and build lasting relationships with clients.
1. Remember — It’s Social Media
You wouldn’t walk into a crowded room and immediately start shouting about yourself and why everyone should buy from you.
That would put people off.
Instead, you’d introduce yourself to a small group, learn about them, and then share how you might be able to help.
That’s exactly how social media works.
So don’t just push your product or service.
Get to know your audience.
Support them, promote them, encourage them, and engage with them.
Advise, connect, and add value — and people will naturally come to you.
2. Analyse, Identify, Adapt
Use tools like Google Analytics and built-in social media insights to discover:
Who your audience is
Where they live and how old they are
What content engages them most
What drives them to your website
What positions you as an expert
A few months ago, we noticed something surprising:
Although we had ten times more Twitter followers than Facebook followers, Facebook was driving 54% of our social media traffic to our website — while Twitter lagged behind.
So we shifted our focus to Facebook.
Result: last month, 95% of our social media traffic came from Facebook, and our engagement and client queries spiked dramatically.
The lesson: Analyse. Identify. Adapt.
3. Be Flexible
Try new things — new platforms, types of content, and calls to action.
Talk to people. Listen to feedback. Test ideas before dismissing them.
We once avoided Facebook, assuming no one would be interested in our services there — we were wrong.
We also found LinkedIn intimidating, but since that’s where our target market is, we’ve pushed ourselves to show up and connect.
4. Be Consistent and Patient
Trust and strong relationships don’t appear overnight.
Use tools like Hootsuite to schedule valuable content regularly — but also be live on your platforms daily.
Engage, thank, tag, and connect.
A genuine, generous online culture benefits your community — and your business.
For a full year, we consistently shared, chatted, retweeted, and blogged. We worked hard for every lead.
Then, after twelve months, something amazing happened: people began liking, sharing, commenting, and recommending us organically.
Now, every day, we get at least one direct query via social media from someone we’ve never spoken to before.
People are beginning to trust and respect our small-business brand — without ever meeting us face to face.
5. Invest in Training if You Need It
If you still feel daunted, or would value some mentoring or accountability, we highly recommend Digital Sparkles.
They sometimes offer funded training, and even when funding isn’t available, the potential return on investment makes it well worth it.
If you’re a supporter of small businesses, check out our other articles:
Connect With Us
Follow us on:
Talbot Jones Risk Solutions is an insurance brokerage specialising in Charity and SME insurance.
If you’d value a free insurance review, advice, or quotation, get in touch — we’ll be delighted to help.
Photo Credit: HowToStartABlogOnline.net
