Ah, social media platforms. It’s to us Millennials and Gen Z-ers what going to the park and socializing used to be, to Boomers. Well, more or less, at least.
Social media is one of the most powerful mediums ever created and, without a doubt, social media platforms are the most overused platforms daily.
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The reason behind social media’s great success is the fact that the platforms are, much like email, always accessible, through all devices-mobile, desktop, you name it. There’s an app for anything you want.
This type of accessibility and success of digital marketing made platforms that offer tools for email marketing and marketing automation for agencies that deal with digital anything, much too needed. And all of this comes at a price.
Can SMEs live up to our era’s expectations? And if so, at what cost?
Well, what if I told you that it can be done for free or at a cost that’s pretty darn low, provided you follow my tips?
First in Order of Business
You’ll need to make sure, whether you’re an SME or a solopreneur that enjoys doing everything alone, that you understand two basic parameters: Your crowd and your competition.
So, first of all, check out the competition. Why is the competition doing better or worse than you? What are they doing differently? How can you play in their field and win?
And then, in order to answer those questions, you’ll need to really get in there and really do your research when it comes to your crowd. What do your followers see in you and in what ways your product makes them who they’d like to be in the long run?
This seems to be a pretty easy task, but it really is not. And I’ll tell you why: Mere observation will get you nowhere. You’ll need to use some customer segmentation magic first and some A/B testing magic later, to make sure that your hypothesis will lead you to some serious solutions.
Got that part? Great! Now, onto the second step.
Content is King
Creating the right content at the right time is essential for any type of business, let alone for SMEs and solopreneurs, who cannot afford to make mistakes. Literally.
What you can do in that case, except for creating content that will be on par with the customer personas, would be to leverage the customers themselves and use two forms of content that they love to see on their feeds: User Generated Content (UGC) and influencer content.
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UGC is, first of all, free. Secondly, you can see above that consumers find it to be more authentic and fun, which can help you in two different ways.
- You can stand out easily and cost-free
- You can drive a whole lot of engagement to your brand and go viral
Urging users to create some content is fairly easy, too. You can perhaps host a giveaway-it shouldn’t be something too large either, just something you can deliver.
Hosting a giveaway is not that hard, just make sure you’re clear on the rules first, and then create a unique hashtag. Check when the best time to post on Instagram is, and you’re all set.
By making users into brand ambassadors, your brand will get another plus as well: More views from the people who created content for you. That way, you’re sure to tap into the wonderful world of affiliate marketing in no time.
But apart from UGC, you can leverage the power of influencers as well.
Find the hashtags in your niche, the ones you’re most interested in using and contact influencers. This may sound expensive, but it’s not at all if you decide to leverage the power of micro-influencers.
Their crowd is smaller, which means that it’s more manageable as well, that it’s easier for them to engage with it and that, most of all, they can promote your product in a way that will feel more natural-almost like UGC.
Also, you don’t need to spend millions on micro-influencers. They’re the better, more affordable solution.
Remain Relevant Using Email Marketing
Social media is a fantastic means to get more conversion and more sales, but a brand with no website and no email marketing plan in place doesn’t look like it’s that credible, in the end.
Just make sure that your website won’t be loading slow, as this can drive people away from your page. After all, you’ve got very limited time to make a first impression.
By using beautiful and original logo design and powerful copy, you can entice your users to subscribe to your newsletter. Email marketing is one of the mediums that can drive a lot of engagement and conversion, as it can be as personalized as you would’ve wanted and it’s one of the most affordable, and at the same time, rewarding tactics:
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Not to mention that a brand that uses email is a brand that the crowd can engage with and can contact, much like they can do with social media platforms as well.
Takeaway
The above tactics are the basics an SME can use, in order to get the brand’s name out there and generate as much conversion and engagement as possible.
Keep in mind that your brand’s own tone should be loud and proud while not only creating content but also while picking out the UGC and influencer content you’re going to use.
Is there any other tactic you think should’ve been on that list? Don’t forget to leave a comment and share the knowledge with your favorite marketer! 
