Social Media for SMEs
Social media often tends to give SMEs an inferiority complex as they feel overshadowed by large brands in the industry they operate in. Without the dedicated inhouse team and topline agencies working on their social media it can seem like an uphill struggle.
However, it should not be so as following a few simple guidelines can yield good results for those who are willing to put invest time an money in that. Once social media influence is established, and built on,SMEs can find themselves are in a strategically positioned with direct access to their customers, prospects, suppliers and a huge talent pool
1. Getting Started
If you only have a handful of followers, the great content you create and your messages are unlikely to have much impact.
So SMEs should not be averse to advertising in order to kickstart a following. It’s difficult to grow a following
organically from a low starting point. You can reach out to the type of people you want to reach depending upon where they are and what they’re interested in by paying only on clicks on your adverts. It’s very effective in quickly building up a following
2. Treat it like a friendly local joint
Engaging with people through social media is simple as long as you don’t just talk about yourself. You need to find Facebook pages and groups, LinkedIn communities and Twitter hashtags for your area and expertise and get involved in conversations to build up a following. Don’t just keep saying how good your company is are and how everyone should buy from you. That can put-off users on social
3. Be expert and small
Never be intimidated by big brands having lots of followers while you have only a handful. Build your network by researching people who can influence your business sector and who are interested in what you do, the universal truth is that 1,000 engaged users are worth more to you than 10,000 who have simply liked a big brand to enter a contest. So, don’t try to compete with big brands you will loose your focus. You just need to find another way to stand out as a more personable business that people can engage with
4. Monitor to improve
The very simple rule that all social media experts would pass on to any SME is that if you are going to submit a post, offer, picture or video make sure it is interesting, informative or entertaining. If it does not comply to any one of these, then you need to take a long hard look at the content that you are posting Keeping an eye on Likes, comments, mentions and conversation surrounding your brand online is important. That’s the best way to identify what’s working and what’s not.
5. Treat Social Media with respect
Do not leave social media solely to the intern or young person in the office who “gets” the internet. All marketing messages should be handled responsibly and professionally preferably a person with understanding of social media and competent in English and graphics. On the contrary you can hire an small to mid-sized agency who are competent enough on these counts – content, graphics and social.