6 Crucial Questions to Kickstart Your SME Social Media Strategy

Ed: When long-time Chinwag contributor, Jemima Gibbons, heard about the SME Growth Hack she kindly put together this blog post with 6 crucial questions to develop an SME's social media strategy. Excellent prep for the event. Got your ticket?

By definition, every company created in the last decade is a Digital Native. Or at least, it should be. If you’re a Millennial business, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be using digital and social technologies effectively throughout your operations. 

So - why aren’t you?

One problem is the sheer density of options out there. You may be the tech-iest of tech companies, with some super-smart solution to a global problem, but this doesn’t mean you automatically understand Facebook EdgeRank, or what Google Hummingbird means for your business.

Maybe you want to hire in a social media expert. But that again is tricky, what with the sheer number of consultants, evangelists and gurus offering various kinds of snake oil – all at a price.

Here are six simple questions every SME can ask themselves. Think carefully about each answer – record your responses – and you will have a bare bones strategy to get your social media up and running.

1. WHY DO YOU WANT TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA?

You must be on Twitter. You must be on Facebook – but why? What does social media really mean to you? How can it help with your overall business objectives? What is your end goal – increased brand awareness? Reputation? Customer engagement? What are your competitors doing (good and bad)? How do you compare to them? What could you do better? What could you do differently?

2. HOW WILL YOU MEASURE SUCCESS?

What will success look like to you? Is it simply a matter of more followers/ fans? Or is it increased engagement, lower cost per interaction, more traffic to your website or more conversions? Decide on the metrics that matter and put monthly targets in a spreadsheet. Revisit regularly to see how you’re progressing.

3. WHO DO YOU WANT TO CONNECT WITH?

Are you B2B or consumer? Is your audience on LinkedIn - or Snapchat? Desktop – or mobile? Do you want to reach existing or potential customers? Engage employees? Show influencers how cool you are? Answer this question honestly and you’ll know what sort of social media content you need to create.

4. WHAT’S YOUR PASSION?

Social media is a long term commitment, so talk about stuff that excites you. Choose three or four main themes (relevant to your business goals) and stick to them to establish yourself as an expert. What do you care about? What drives you? What are your customers into – how can you be useful? What are your competitors talking about?

5. WHERE DOES SOCIAL MEDIA FIT IN YOUR OVERALL MARKETING MIX?

Which marketing channels are you currently using - on and offline? How can existing content be repurposed and amplified using social media?

6. WHEN WILL YOU DO IT?

Social media may be free to use but you need to invest time and resources. When can you make space in your schedule to keep on top of things? For example, can you install the Twitter app on your smartphone and check updates on your commute to work? Are there any papers or blogs you could read online? What job-related tasks and activities, if any, do you currently do online?

Ed: Jemima has recently launched the Social Media Launch Pack to help SMEs develop their social media strategy. More information is available from her website.

Photo (cc) Bev Goodwin.