Mastering Social Media Marketing: Top Tips for Small Businesses

In today's digital age, social media has become a powerful tool for small businesses to connect with their audience, build brand awareness, and drive sales. 

The ability to reach a global audience with minimal costs has revolutionised the way small businesses market themselves. However, success in social media marketing requires a well-thought-out strategy. In this blog post, we'll discuss some essential tips for small businesses to excel in social media marketing.

Understand Your Audience

One of the fundamental principles of social media marketing is to understand your target audience. Who are your potential customers? What are their needs and preferences? By knowing your audience, you can create content that resonates with them and tailors your strategies accordingly.

Choose the Right Platforms

There are numerous social media platforms available, but not all are suitable for every business. Select platforms that align with your audience and industry. For instance, if you're a visual-based business, Instagram and Pinterest might be more suitable, while B2B companies often find success on LinkedIn.

Consistency is Key

Consistency is vital in social media marketing. Regular posting helps maintain engagement and build a loyal following. Create a content calendar to plan your posts in advance, ensuring a steady stream of content. Tools like Hootsuite and Buffer can help you schedule and manage your social media posts efficiently.

Quality Over Quantity

While consistency is crucial, it should not compromise the quality of your content. High-quality, engaging content will generate better results than frequent but subpar posts. Invest time in crafting compelling visuals, writing engaging captions, and using relevant hashtags.

Leverage Visual Content

Visual content, such as images and videos, is more likely to be shared and engaged with on social media. Consider using infographics, product photos, behind-the-scenes videos, and customer testimonials to capture your audience's attention. 

Engage with Your Audience

Social media is a two-way street. Engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions. Encourage discussions and build a sense of community around your brand. This not only increases trust but also strengthens your online presence.

Use Hashtags Effectively

Hashtags are a powerful tool to increase the discoverability of your content. Research and choose relevant hashtags for your posts, but avoid overloading your captions with them. A few well-chosen hashtags can significantly boost your content's visibility.

Analyse and Adapt

Social media marketing isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Regularly monitor the performance of your posts using built-in analytics tools or third-party apps. Analyse which posts are most effective, what times your audience is most active, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Collaborate and Partner

Building relationships with influencers or other businesses in your industry can expand your reach. Collaborations and partnerships can introduce your brand to a new and engaged audience, increasing your brand's credibility and visibility.

Invest in Ads

Social media advertising can be an excellent way to reach a broader audience, especially when your organic reach starts to plateau. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer targeted advertising options that can provide a solid return on investment.

Social media marketing is an ever-evolving landscape, and small businesses must be adaptable and willing to learn. By understanding your audience, maintaining consistency, and creating high-quality content, you can harness the full potential of social media to grow your brand and connect with your customers. Remember, success in social media marketing is not about the size of your budget but the effectiveness of your strategy and the authenticity of your brand's voice.

As an important caveat, make sure that the values of whomever operates your company's social media channels match with the values of your business, and that they don't (for example) mistake your corporate Twitter account for their own private Twitter account. It's somewhat jarring for the Twitter account of a small, bespoke knitwear maker to suddenly start sending out tweets of a political nature that have nothing to do with the brand they are supposed to be representing. 

(Image courtesy Photo Mix from Pixabay)

Swipe Me! RFID technology allows retailers to harness social media like never!

New social networking solution uses RFID technology to connect businesses at physical locations with social media - to be exclusively previewed at next week’s Retail Business Technology Expo.

Businesses can now gain control over the level of engagement they have with customers with the use of branded RFID cards which customers can swipe at their physical location to share their activity on Facebook (or other social channels).

Previously, the only way for brands operating in the physical domain to engage with their customers via social media was to create Facebook apps or Pages on which money is spent to drive traffic. Once users are engaged here, they share information with their friends about the app, not about their specific activities at the venue. LifeSynk effectively offers "a social media-based loyalty scheme allowing businesses to harness the power of word-of-mouth" by allowing customers to swipe their card at the physical location to unlock offers and share experiences with real-life examples.

How does it work for your customers? He or she will obtain an RFID card which they link to their Facebook account in a single step on a brand’s Facebook Page. They can then swipe this card at all outlets that have a LifeSynk terminal (which can be branded).

When they swipe, the user can take advantage of offers, discounts or promotions as engineered by the brand through the LifeSynk system. Branded and contextual information is broadcast to the user’s friends via Facebook (or other social channels), such as “I just received 20% off menswear at Gap”.

In the same way the Tesco Clubcard scheme works by monitoring customer activity to tailor offers, LifeSynk allows businesses to do this but across a social forum, so that all the customer’s friends can see the benefits they are gaining from the brand.

The user is able to visit their own admin console to control permissions such as allowing wall posts, but more importantly they can view all the branded promotions that are available, thus allowing brands an effective platform to promote their campaigns.

How does the business or brand use it? The LifeSynk system is comprised of an RFID reader, small CPU computer, sound board, Wi-Fi connectivity and LED lights. Its only requirements are Wi-Fi connection and a power point.

A dashboard of rich features enables brands to set up campaigns and actions that occur when cards are swiped. They can customise the specific news feeds that appear on their customer’s profile pages, and customers’ activities can be tracked.

A number of functions can be assigned to each terminal allowing the brand to control what occurs when a user swipes. The LifeSynk terminals are virtually effortless for businesses: they are shipped with the Wi-Fi key programmed into the board, and start operating as soon as they are switched on. The server is automatically updated if newer versions of the software are found.

The brand has access to rich analytics showing locations, who swiped what, how many times, demographics and more. It even calculates how many people were shared to and the click rate, ultimately allowing businesses to track the number of customers drawn to the venue via the sharing and word-of-mouth of their friends.

Digital services such as Spotify are currently benefiting from integrating with Facebook because activity that’s broadcast is immediate and relevant, driving traffic through shares.

How useful is this to brands? At present a user can check in to a venue, post a status update or Tweet about their experience, but the brand has to sit powerless without insight or influence over these conversations. With LifeSynk, brands can take control of conversations about themselves on social media.

In terms of security, LifeSynk is built on the back of Facebook. It stores no user accounts or personal information - all of this is via a Facebook app, so it is optimally secure using Facebook’s own platform. There is no way to access a user’s account without access to their Facebook account.

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSllbmn0fgY

You can visit the LifeSynk stand at the Retail Business Technology Expo, taking place on 13-14th March 2012 at Earl’s Court, London on stand 837.

10 Yetis PR Agency Launches ASocialMediaAgency

10 Yetis PR Agency has announced that it has decided to launch ‘A Social Media Agency’. This is as a direct result of the volume of enquiries it was receiving for social media campaigns to run either individually or alongside public relations campaigns.

With a proven track record in social media, the agency felt it was time to have a team dedicated exclusively to managing social media accounts and to deliver results-driven social campaigns.

10 Yetis, the consumer and tech public relations agency based in Gloucestershire, has announced that it is launching A Social Media Agency (www.ASocialMediaAgency.co.uk). The new sister agency will focus on six main areas: social media strategy, social media training and management, social media tools and technical support, online reputation management, social media advertising and social media for search engine optimisation.

10 Yetis PR Agency, www.10Yetis.co.uk, has several success stories when it comes to social media, including successful campaigns for clients like gaming marketplace Playr2.com and multi-lingual social network Badoo.com. Aiming to improve their client’s campaigns, 10 Yetis understand that conversation is key.

The launch of ASocialMediaAgency will be the latest addition to the company’s current portfolio of services, which includes video content through The Online Video Company and PR services through 10 Yetis itself. ASocialMediaAgency will be based at the 10 Yetis PR offices in the heart of the South West.

Andy Barr, founder of ASocialMediaAgency.co.uk and head of Yeti, had the following to say about the launch: “Social media has played a big part in client campaigns for a number of years now and with the increasing demand for social media services, we felt it was the right time to launch A Social Media Agency, for existing and new clients.

"We are doing things differently in comparison to many social media agencies work and believe talking about ‘return on investment’ from media shouldn’t be a dirty word. Social media campaigns have to be about more than conversation and our team know how to deliver results.”

This ROI focused strategy has seen A Social Media Agency quickly win a number of accounts, resulting in the appointment of Laura Edwards as a dedicated social media account manager. Speaking about her appointment, Laura said:

“It’s exciting to be working with 10 Yetis and the launch of A Social Media Agency; the company’s ethos perfectly aligns with my own on how businesses should be using social media. Now brands have established themselves online, it’s time to implement a social media strategy that really makes a difference to your businesses bottom line.”

Laura previously worked as a freelance social media consultant working with a number of PR agencies on their client’s social media campaigns. She has worked with brands like Jockey Club Racecourse, Gloucester Rugby Club and ITV.


(EDITOR: I have always found 10 Yetis to be a very good PR firm to work with from my perspective as a journalist and I have no reason to doubt that their commitment to A Social Media Agency will be every bit as strong and effective.)

Brands Adopting a Dual Approach of On-site & Social Media Marketing Will Develop The Strongest Customer Relationships, Says Punch Communications

Brand marketers that are evolving their approach to develop a strategy that encompasses engaging content on both their own-brand website and social media, stand to develop the strongest possible relationship with their customers, according to integrated social media, PR and SEO agency, Punch Communications. (EDITOR: And Punch Communications know what they are talking about, having received many relevant, useful and well-written press releases from them, over the years.)

Whilst customer relationships clearly work differently in the two environments, the strategy of adopting both as complementary presences allow a brand to engage in two distinct models – firstly reacting to customer interest via the brand site and secondly to thoughtfully participate in a customer's experience when they are already engaging with social media. By engaging through social media, the brand benefits from the provision of relevant customer information and illustrates increased transparency, flexibility and the desire to understand their customers.

In the UK for example, Facebook is the most popular social network as it has twice as many users as YouTube, 17 times more than Twitter and is the second most visited website in the country, behind Google. Therefore, it is the marketing channel that provides businesses with the greatest opportunity to reach out directly to consumers in what has rapidly become somewhat of a natural habitat for thousands.

Whilst many brands are now strengthening their customer relationships through social media, many have yet to take advantage of the opportunity, through focussing on broadcasting content to users, rather than engaging them in dialogue.

Marketing strategies can no longer rely on audiences returning to a brand time and again and Clinton Cards is one such B2C business that is rapidly developing its social media strategy alongside its website communications. The UK’s leading high street greeting card retailer recognises that the more choice of touch points offered to a consumer and the varied communication techniques that each one brings, the greater the chance for a sustained relationship.

Pete Goold, managing director of Punch Communications, said: “When Facebook users are visiting the site many millions of times each day,  B2C brands should be asking themselves if they are participating with those consumers as effectively as possible, in order to engage their interests and further their relationship. Sadly, so many are not fulfilling their potential to reach out, start on-going dialogues and create highly engaged social networking communities in order to further brand awareness and loyalty.”

By using the top 100 retail websites as a sample group, Hitwise found that each brand’s Facebook fan equated to an additional 20 website visits (over a 12 month period). This illustrates that if brands successfully participate in the space in which their audience already convenes, as well as through their brand website, there are plenty of rewards to be reaped; in the UK alone, 500 million hours are spent on Facebook each month.

Pete added: “There is little doubt that one-size fits all approach is no longer a sufficiently sophisticated strategy for digital marketing. Where brands are able to meaningfully participate in social media experiences, rather than simply push messages out, social communities tend to respond extremely favourably, resulting in disproportionately high positivity and loyalty. In short, it’s simply about going back to the old marketing truism of tailoring the message to the individual, which remains universally beneficial and is now more possible than ever before.”

For more information on Punch Communications’ integrated approach to social network activity and to see what it can offer your business compared to other social media agencies, visit www.punchcomms.com. Also, if you’re looking for social media, SEO or PR jobs, visit the Punch website to review the positions that are currently available.

To join in the conversation with Punch on Facebook, Twitter or Google plus, visit facebook.com/PunchCommunications, twitter.com/punchcomms and gplusnick/punchcomms.

Statistics courtesy of Experian Hitwise, 2 February - http://weblogs.hitwise.com/james-murray/2012/02/10_things_yo...

This Purple prose could really boost your business!

Companies looking to exploit new social media networks must think very carefully about how they develop their Facebook presence according to a new report by integrated marketing specialists, The Purple Agency (part of Adare).

According to Purple too many companies fail to harness the potential of social media to express their brands and engage consumers positively. In so doing they run the risk of damaging the brands they represent as a result of ill thought through social media strategies.

Says Andrew Woodger, data and planning director, The Purple Agency: “While social media sites are a potentially powerful tool for good, they can just as easily be a powerful turn off for many consumers. Unless brands set out to engage consumers in a managed interactive environment, there is a huge risk that their social media presence will back fire. This is especially true of organisations and brands which rely on high levels of consumer goodwill or where there are potentially controversial issues which may need a high degree of ‘management’ to avoid them getting out of hand.”

The Purple Agency has created a list of factors which should ideally be considered and addressed before a company sets itself up on Facebook or any other social networking media. These include the following:

Do:

1 Do have a clear strategy. Consider both the gains and the risks. How will you measure the benefits?
2. Do decide how you want people to interact. Is your Facebook site a bill board or somewhere people can genuinely ‘interact’. Either might be valid, but will depend on what you want to achieve.
3. Do choose who will be responsible for managing and maintaining your presence.
4. Do agree in advance your policies and approach to managing negative or controversial postings. People often use sites to ‘sound off’ about issues they feel are unresolved. Make sure you are ready and able to respond quickly.
5. Do make sure your customers know about your social media presence, and are invited to participate

Don’t:

1. Don’t create a social presence which exposes you to critical comment – unless the upsides and rewards are greater than the potential damage.
2. Don’t use standardised responses or those written in ‘corporate speak’. Treat people as individuals. The wrong tone of voice can send the wrong messages.
3. Don’t duck issues. A little humility works better than corporate arrogance.
4. Don’t scrimp on resourcing your presence. Make sure you have the back up to support your ‘social networkers’, such as customer service personnel and PR people who can deal with any prickly issues quickly and professionally.
5. Don’t let wounds fester. If an uncomfortable issue gets raised deal with it one-to-one before it propagates and gets out of hand.

Says Woodger, “This is a media area which offers huge rewards in terms of building dialogue with customers and expressing your brand personality. If you get it right it can drive service improvements, new product developments, extend your brand and gain valuable ‘earned reputation’. But the downsides have to be considered carefully. You have to plan and have contingency arrangements in place to deal with issues as they emerge. Failure to do so can quickly undo all the potential benefits social media offers.”

A copy of the Purple report The 20 Second Guide to Social Media Management can be downloaded from the Purple website at www.purple-agency.com

SociView™, the first social media mapping tool is launched

SociView™, said to be the first social-media-mapping tool to give organisations a true view of their global social-media real estate, is now available.

Its aim is to support organisations in organising their social-media landscape to instil 'best practice' and generate sales opportunities. Founder Chris Sykes, Chief Executive of Volume Ltd, worked closely with large international concerns to address issues arising from marketing across social channels and identified a lack of social-media tools in their portfolios. Whilst in beta mode SociView™ was used to help a number of Fortune 500 companies attain visibility across their social universe.

“The concept of SociView™ is simple: just ask yourself how many social-media accounts your company has. Where are they, who owns them and how effective are they? Are they representative of your brand and do they have a positive or negative influence? SociView™ answers all these questions”, said Sykes.

SociView™ collates a company’s social accounts and instances into a single dashboard. These instances are categorised, ranked and rated to show brand relevance and impact.

SociView™ categorises each instance, as “official”, “endorsed”, “unofficial” or “other”. A custom-developed “Sociscore” is automatically applied to show how each instance is performing.

Users can benchmark their social accounts against each other to establish best practices, compliance and corporate governance. SociView™ also measures performance against competitors’ social accounts.

The ability to easily assess the quality and effectiveness of company-owned social-media instances gives marketing executives greater control and influence on messaging and content.

Alan Rutherford, current Chairman and Global President of the International Advertising Association and Chairman of Volume Ltd, is the chief advocate of SociView™: “One of the key benefits of SociView™ is its ability to deliver a top-level view of an organization’s social-media landscape for CMOs whilst still enabling marketing executives to drill down to obtain granular detail.”

Key benefits of SociView™

Organizing social-media real estate

“If you look at your current social-media presence, it’s a bit like a swarm of hornets buzzing around. SociView™ brings order, effectively turning the random and uncontrolled spontaneity of social media into a productive and efficient line of worker ants. SociView™ helps you to consolidate and optimise your ‘sociverse’. Switch off the poor-performing accounts and invest in those that perform well and have a thriving and growing community,” said Sykes.

Instilling best practice and compliance across company-owned social instances

The Sociscore rating algorithm helps an organisation set quality and compliance benchmarks for social accounts and instances. Bringing all the accounts into line enables marketing executives to promote best practice across an organization. SociView™ can also create structure around the ownership and development of accounts, whilst ensuring corporate governance and benchmarking against competitor accounts. The Sociscore algorithm is calculated from four parameters common across mainstream social networks: relevance, activity, influence and visibility.

Opening up sales channels

With most leading organizations turning to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube etc. to generate brand awareness and sales opportunities, SociView™ helps businesses and organisations coordinate their messages and communications across all their “official” and “endorsed” instances, like partner-owned social-media real estate.

If revenues are down in a specific product or area, organisations can use SociView™ to focus on promoting the benefits of that product or service through the most visible and influential social channels. Going further, it can also uncover brand advocates and influencers who can assist in generating sales opportunities.

With a number of social-media listening and execution tools available in the market, SociView™ has been developed to offer a unique and complementary set of features.

“Listening tools are essential in today’s digital environment, but they are a little like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. With SociView™, you know every horse in your stable and can train them to perform as you’d expect them to perform,” said Sykes.

Further information can be found on www.sociview.com