Digital Marketing

If you’re not a regular follower of @KFC, then you may have missed this subtle social media marketing stunt. Well we say stunt, but it’s been a somewhat long-con until one follower questioned the real meaning of its random number of followers.

@KFC only follows 11 accounts. While large companies are renowned for only following a few key people relative to their business, they’ve got to be selective, however, 11 is a somewhat odd number. Until you take a closer look.

The food company has chosen to follow six accounts of people with the name ‘Herb’ alongside all members of the Spice Girls, totalling 11 accounts.
We think the word you’re looking for is genius! The company’s key message is there for all to see, just surreptitiously. You see, the fast food giant’s recipe comprises of a secret mix of 11 herbs and spices.

But how can this be reflected in an SMEs own social media marketing? Well, it is all about a good mix of clever content and tactics. This particular campaign illustrates a clever way to get people engaged on social media as followers share, like and tweet their thoughts about the bizarre collection of accounts.

If you’re an SME starting out on social media for your business or would like to get some consistency in your feed, then our advice is to put in place a content strategy. This can be as simple as creating a timeline of key events, national days, product launches and so forth. Then map this out for the year. Then you can begin to tie in relevant blogs so that they are timely. It also means that your social media accounts are joined up and you have a consistent business message being delivered at one time.

Drop us a line on 020 3137 1826 if you have any questions about social media for your small business and we can help guide you through.

With 2.8 billion social media users*, we take a closer look at a successful business that has utilised social media to gain a loyal following and consider why it is so important for small businesses to get social.

Marketing Week recently interviewed entrepreneur Ella Mills about the role that marketing has played in the success of her business. She has built up a massive online following with her brand Deliciously Ella which has an audience of about 28 million. She started her blog in 2012 following an illness which affected her mentally and physically. Her business stemmed from her learning about diet and lifestyle and how it could have an impact on her illness. She subsequently recorded what she was eating in her blog. She gained a loyal base of followers interested in her recipes and progress. Fast forward to today, and Ella is regularly engaging and reaching out to her audience directly via social media and built on her business model by introducing bricks and mortar delis. For Ella, she sees social media as ‘accessible, authentic and approachable’ and ‘the most important way of keeping in touch’.

With Ella’s success of social media marketing in mind, we consider how small businesses can utilise and benefit social media for themselves

Content is king

One of the key things to remember about any communication with your audience is the need for good quality content. By creating interesting and relevant blogs and videos you can share these via social media. So, providing tips, advice and commentary on trends, can help you attract and retain customers.

Think strategically

Understanding why you are on social media will help you achieve your goals. The channels are not just there for engagement and a #ThrowbackThursday comment, they are about customer retention, brand awareness, sales and quality leads. So, spend a little time initially working out what you want to get from social media and devise your strategy.

Understand your audience

Conduct a straw poll with your customers to find out what channels are most popular and research which social media channels your competitors use. This way you will have some indication of where to focus your efforts if you are starting out or doing a review of relevant channels you’re signed up to. For example, a local café may find Facebook and Instagram popular for spreading their message. But, it is not necessarily the same approach that is best for an accountancy firm, where Twitter and LinkedIn may provide the best approach.

Let’s face it, if your competitors are using a particular channel then it’s worth sharing the same space as them.

Marketing plan

Remember, to see social media as just another marketing tool. It is providing a way to reach out to your target audience, so working out what you want to say to them and how is all part of the process. For a small business, it is sometimes difficult to manage or perhaps the last thing on your mind with everything else you have to juggle. So, look at tools such as Hootsuite which can help you manage when you send messages out and at what time.

Social media Croydon

If you’re looking for some initial help, the Smart Cow team can help you formulate a social media strategy and create content for a few months to set you on your way.

Drop us a line if you have any questions about social media for your small business and we can help guide you through.

Source: *We are Social: Digital in 2017 Global Overview