While they may not realise it, social media remains a largely untapped resource for small businesses and charities across the nation’s capital. Photo: Yuri Acurs.
Whether you love or hate it, social media is unavoidable, and it’s about more than keyboard warriors and cat videos. When used effectively, online channels become a powerful medium for business growth.
Despite this, most small to medium businesses (SMEs) and not-for-profits are only just scratching the surface of social media’s potential, falling instead into the many pitfalls it presents.
Director of marketing for Canberra brand performance agency, one x, Adam Gill, has cultivated a deep understanding of the dos and don’ts when it comes to socials for SMEs.
“Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn have the potential to draw a much larger audience than traditional media outlets, and advertising with them costs far less,” he says.
“The problem is, most businesses have little to no strategy and try to keep things rolling on their own by posting for the sake of it.
“Chasing trends instead of focusing on meaningful, tailored content just doesn’t work. It’s crucial to get a handle on the basics first.”
So, what are the basics?
Adam says a good social media strategy starts with your audience. Understanding who they are, what motivates them and how to target their attention allows you to deliver your product or service to those who are most likely to purchase it.
Generally speaking, SMEs need a marketing strategy that drives sales while building a strong, authentic brand presence. A clear-cut strategy with achievable goals and careful content planning is essential.
“Everything you post should have a purpose, and depending on that purpose, each post will differ in results,” Adam says.
“Just because one post has fewer likes than another doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing, as long as it moves you closer to your objective. Avoid falling into the trap of constantly trying to go viral.”
The long game is just as important to play, so don’t chop and change your approach if you aren’t seeing results the same day. It’s important to give the algorithm some time to do its thing.
Marketing moguls Sarah Stanton, Dan Hawcroft, James Deen, Lucy Richmond, Ash Scensor, Matty Ingold, and Adam Gill make up the dynamic one x team. Photo: Jenny Woo.
All sounding too difficult? Well, frequent flyers generally can’t land planes, so it makes sense that being a social media user doesn’t mean you can run an effective company channel.
Sometimes, it pays to get a pilot.
“In-depth analytics will give you concrete evidence on whether your content hits the mark, but it’s important that you know how to read them,” Adam says.
“Without the knowledge or experience needed to create an effective content calendar and understand social data, it’s unlikely businesses will be able to make use of every tool at their disposal.”
Adam and the one x team surpass the structure of traditional marketing agencies by providing simple yet effective services that extend beyond just brand strategy.
“Don’t be afraid to outsource – social media is always evolving, and there are professionals out there for a reason,” he says.
“Look for a provider that knows your market well and has already achieved results that speak for themselves.
“One x understands business, marketing and operations as separate entities, as well as recognising the connection between them. Our focus is on intelligent solutions and easy-to-understand marketing plans that build momentum in a thoughtful way.”
Good marketing doesn’t need to be complicated – it just needs to drive value. Find out more at one x.
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