Member Article

Social media for SMEs

Social media utilises various online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to create and share information in a conversation style.

Although social media originated as a personal tool for interacting with friends and family, businesses have embraced and developed strategies to incorporate social media within their overall communication plans for reaching out to the online community. To illustrate the importance of incorporating these powerful tools within your business communications strategy, according to the UK Internet Advertising Bureau (2013), nearly 80% of consumers said they would be more inclined to buy from a brand because of its presence on social media.

Alan McGee – social media and management consultant at Say Consultancy – has prepared an in-depth training module which covers essential tips to optimise your social media strategy as part of iNorthumberland Business Support’s fully funded programme of digital training. Here Alan shares his top tips for getting social media savvy:

The most important thing to remember is that you must have a strategy for social media in place. Opportunities in social media can seem endless, but you must remain focused if you want to see a real benefit for your business. Take time to plan a strategy, considering your existing business goals and how best to showcase your brand’s strengths online.

When selecting social media tools or platforms to use, consider what you are trying to achieve by promoting your business on social media. Also think about your own business and how best to reach your intended audience. For example, if your business is very visual, tools such as Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube might be most suited to you, but if your business caters mainly to other businesses, Twitter and LinkedIn may be more suitable.

It is important to update and maintain social media regularly so as to keep your online audience engaged. Think about how and where you will use social media. This can be time consuming, so stick to your social media strategy to avoid wasting time. It can be helpful to ensure that one person in your business is responsible for coordinating all social media activity.

Social media jargon can be confusing and prevents people from getting involved if they feel they do not understand. It is useful to ask yourself “Do you know your followers from your friends and connections or a like from a favourite? Using jargon incorrectly can instantly mark you as a novice to an experienced social networker, so make sure you get to grips with these terms.

For more advice like this, register at www.inorthumberlandbusiness.co.uk for online training courses to help you get up to speed with digital marketing.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Rodgers .