Ready to learn more about social media strategy for your small business?
In our most recent #SMTLive Twitter chat, we looked at the biggest SMB social media struggles, and how to address the key challenges. A key tipping point for our conversation with this poll:
Q4 POLL - In general, what are your biggest struggles with social media management for a/your small business? #SMTLive
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) July 30, 2019
SMT Influencer Deborah Sweeney, who co-hosted the chat with us, offered solutions to some of these struggles:
A4: Try bringing on an in-house social media intern. This is a great decision for businesses unsure if they’re ready to hire somebody to do their social media full-time, as it helps you figure out how much in the workload there is to do on a daily basis. #SMTLive pic.twitter.com/IN0h7hyhpF
— MyCorporation (@MyCorporation) July 30, 2019
But despite the fact that the poll results show people struggle the most with finding the time and resources for social media management, issues with content dominated the conversation.
Well written content matters! If what we do online reflects the legacy of the business/brand in the long run, then it should tie in closely with the company's mission and narrative. Hopping on a trending hashtag is fine, but it's not a social strategy. #SMTLive
— MyCorporation (@MyCorporation) July 30, 2019
This user asserted that no one (even a hired social media agency) knows what will come off as authentic content better than the company itself.
A4: Content, content, content. And, as an agency, getting our clients to be active collaborators in their social media strategy. #KCLive
— Travis Joyal (@TJMO) July 30, 2019
Sweeney reiterated this idea here.
There's so much value in positioning businesses as thought leaders. Sales and conversions are also important, but that social content is key as it helps answer questions your customers may have... leading them to seek you out first due to your expertise. #SMTLive
— MyCorporation (@MyCorporation) July 30, 2019
Content issues continued with this response from @LiveHelpNow.
A4: Engagement with our content, decreasing of bounce rates, and increasing readership. We have great, useful content, but engaging people and getting traffic to our blog has been a bit of a struggle. #SMTLive
— LiveHelpNow (@LiveHelpNow) July 30, 2019
As a solution to the widely-discussed content issue here, Sweeney also shared that her company's audience, “loves to see behind the scenes content. It’s great to show our audience what our team is like and how we work together. Don’t be afraid to share photos of your team celebrating holidays or highlight new employees”.
So this is the new year
Being that we’re in the social media industry, we here at SMT love some long-term goal setting. And as goal-oriented people, reflecting on past goals, and seeing how they can be altered or how they've paid off, seems valuable too.
Sweeney shared that she was inspired by Marie Kondo, just like a lot of people were at the start of 2019, however purging and replacing a content strategy is not necessarily as easy as organizing a closet.
A5: We have been remodeling our company blog gradually over the year. It’s a lot more week than it may seem… Anyone with a business blog will definitely agree that Marie Kondo-ing a blog with content audits takes awhile! https://t.co/QzkU8OumpV #SMTLive
— MyCorporation (@MyCorporation) July 30, 2019
@FrogPlum focused on brand awareness in 2019, and we’re so happy our Twitter chats have helped with their goal.
A5.
— Frogplum Solutions (@frogplum) July 30, 2019
Two words: Brand. Awareness. As a young company, we know that in order to make a name for ourselves we have to get ourself out there. This is why creating well produced content & engaging with others on social (just like this!) amongst others are high on our list! #smtlive
Sweeney offered some branding advice, in case anyone else has a rebrand, or establishing a brand, as one of their upcoming goals.
Ideally, it helps to figure that out and get a strategy in place before posting on social too so everything remains consistent to your brand's voice. #SMTLive
— MyCorporation (@MyCorporation) July 30, 2019
What are your dreams for New Year's Day?
With 2019 more than halfway over, 2020 seems like more of a goal for one’s eyesight than a year to be prepping a social media presence for. But it’s never too early to have 2020 vision (get it?).
Deborah Sweeney filled us in on MyCorp’s goals here too.
A6: Quality over quantity! Then and now, our social goal is to keep engaging with customers and providing them with valuable content across all platforms. #SMTLive pic.twitter.com/yAZuZW3W0Y
— MyCorporation (@MyCorporation) July 30, 2019
We loved seeing everyone looking ahead to the new year with what they’ve learned from the halfway mark in this one.
A6: Dream = seeing our followings increase organically with people who are strategic to our clients. Goal = having our clients allocate bigger budgets for social media since we all know organic reach is just declining more and more by the day. #SMTLive
— Travis Joyal (@TJMO) July 30, 2019
Want more small business advice? You’re in luck.
While we're here talking about #socialmediamarketing for small businesses, here is a great infographic we found about creating a social strategy for a small bus: https://t.co/vc5sBsWDc3 #SMTLive
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) July 30, 2019
Thanks so much for recapping with us this week. We hope you got inspired and had some of your small business social media questions answered as well - and remember to RSVP to our next Twitter chat if you can make it (but if not we will always be here with recaps for you).
Next chat: Aug 13th from 12-1pm ET (same time as always). Topic: TBD https://t.co/Y0LImzPVkI https://t.co/QHPQx5gr1Y
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) July 30, 2019