Marketing has been become cheaper yet more complicated. More and more SMEs are struggling to break through the clutter to reach (and covert) prospects effectively, using social media.
1. It’s a Question of “How” not “Where”
Despite popular belief, not every business should be on Facebook or Twitter or even LinkedIn. The question you should be asking yourself (and your team) is “how are we going to effectively reach and engage our targeted audience using social media?” – this will steer you towards the right platforms, based on goals.
2. Advise not Advertise
A recent study was done and it was noted that 80% of the B2B decision makers prefer to get information through articles as opposed to ads. The results of this study serves as a basis to the reason why Pay-Per-Click is decreasing in effectiveness – a 2012 research study revealed that just 18% of SMEs using Google Adwords actually recoup their investments (Source: YouGov).
It is therefore more profitable to concentrate on thought leadership. Give your audience information they can use to better their business, while showing off your expertise, in hopes of getting sales leads.
3. Align with Business Goals
One of the most critical mistakes done by B2B businesses (including some of our clients) is the separation of business goals from social media goals.
You should think of social media as an additional channel to achieve your business goals. Together with the question asked in point 1, it is also important to ask yourself – “what business goals will this platform and tactic achieve?”
This brings home another critical mistake B2B marketers make with social media – having a “cut & paste” strategy for all social media platforms. Facebook as a platform is different to Twitter, as Twitter is different to Instagram, Slideshare, LinkedIn etc. Learn the differences and construct a strategy for each platform according to the content needs of your audience(s).
4. Inhouse or Outsource
It takes several hours a month to capably handle a single social media platform. So, should you try and manage it all yourself? Or should you outsource your company’s social media management?
Here are four reasons why you should outsource social media management rather than do it yourself:
- Accountability
A social media agency (like Lemok Agency) will professionally provide Social Media management every day for a minimum of 8 hours a day per employee, week in week out. And as this is a professional service, the agency is accountable for achieving agreed upon targets and goals. Results need to be measured and proven.
- Defined Systems
Systems are monitored, measured, tweaked and tested every week and are continually developed to ensure that you are getting the very best from the efforts of the consultant once you outsource social media management.
- Knowledge
It is the combined experience within agencies that grants the client an eye for design, graphical skills, industrial knowledge and experience which all adds to the maturity of using a social media agency instead of a member of Staff.
- Cost
A good Social Media Manager will cost you in the region of R25k-R40k per month; they will be qualified with a degree or years of experience and have certain expectations of you and your time. For example, gathering content and copy for the campaign can take many hours.
There are of course benefits to having the right person doing that for you if you can afford their salary. However, there are so many aspects to hiring the right person that getting it wrong is very risky business. How do you know that they will be good at managing a Social Media campaign?
If you do decide to outsource social media management, not only are you guaranteed a professional who knows the ins and outs of Social Media but also you get one for less money (you actually get a whole team for relatively the same amount, without the hassle of PAYE & UIF).
