The best thing about social media is that you don’t need a huge marketing budget to make it work for you. For companies with limited resources social media has been a blessing.
Without the dedicated team and resources it can seem like an uphill struggle but the truth of the matter is that by doing the basics right, SMEs can quickly bring positive results.
So what makes an SME or a startup ride the social media wave?
1) Get the initial kick: It is extremely difficult to grow organically from a zero base but the good news is that most prominent social platforms like Facebook allow companies with small budgets to advertise to the right TG (target group) and acquire them.
2) Build Relationships with followers: Once you have a decent base of right fans you can get the likes and recommendations for your posts and virality will make your good product/service reach out to much larger audience. Make sure to get into conversations and don’t just post one way messages saying how good you are.
3) Use your own voice and be honest: Don’t try to sound like a big corporate. People detest talking to big corporates. Just converse with an honest intent like you are talking to your customer at your store.
4) Create incentives: One of the best ways for SMEs to use social media is by offering incentives to its fans. Discounts and freebies are proven methods to hook up the fans on to your page.
5) Keep improving and adapting : Once you are engaged with your fans the feedback you receive will not only help you position your content better but also help you improve your products/services.
6) Don’t compete with big brands: Never be bothered about big brands having million of followers. The fact is that 100 engaged fans are better than 10000 inactive fans. Engage with customers and convince them to recommend your product/service.
Having an active Social Media presence can make a big positive difference to SME’s and Start ups, especially in markets where companies rely on word of mouth for promoting their products .The main goal is not to sell, but a commitment that should add value to relationships with the customers . Sales will follow if you show to your customers that you care.
– Vishal Arora