Social media time-saving tips for SMEs

social media presence

Social media is generally regarded as a critical marketing channel these days and for some businesses, it’s their entire marketing channel. But small business owners are often under-staffed and time-poor with limited outsourcing budgets, which means having to do their own social media posts. According to Sensis data, only 36 per cent of SMEs have a strategic plan for social media, even though 62 per cent equate social media success with a rise in sales, revenue and profits.

Coming up with something every day is time-consuming and overwhelming. It often means social gets neglected because it’s put in the “too hard” or “low priority” basket. But it doesn’t have to be too hard. It just takes some planning and setting some time aside each week or month.

Here are some time-saving tips:

Pick your key channels to focus on

There are numerous social media channels out there, but they won’t all suit every business. Figure out which ones will work best for you. One way is to see which ones your peers or competitors are on. B2B companies can probably skip Snapchat but be posting on LinkedIn. B2C businesses could consider Facebook – it’s used by more than 17 million people in Australia, according to Roy Morgan research. Food, fashion and travel companies may find image-focused platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest effective.

Plan your content for the month ahead

Spend a couple of hours at the end of each month putting together your content calendar for the month ahead. Even if you don’t post every day, think of three things to post on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram each week to keep your social channels updated. Some companies use the January quiet period to plan the next 12 months of posts. If your business is undergoing a quiet time due to COVID-19 it’s worth thinking about doing the same now.

Save shareable content

As you scroll through social media yourself, save funny images, videos and memes that relate to your business. Facebook users are more likely to engage with your page if it’s entertaining. If you’re on Instagram, share relevant posts to your Stories – Instagram users will often spend more time on stories than on their feed, so if you’re sharing content to stories, you might remind people to come and visit your page. Other social media users – potentially your customers – also appreciate when their content is re-shared or re-tweeted.

Schedule and automate your content

Save time by scheduling your posts in advance. Some platforms such as Facebook allow you to schedule posts. For others, there are social media management tools such as Loomly, Hootsuite and TweetDeck that allow you to schedule posts across multiple platforms. If you have a WordPress-powered blog, you can schedule posts and automatically have them Tweeted out as well.

Take time to respond

The responses you make to customers on social media are a key part of your own social media. Businesses thanking customers for positive reviews, or making helpful responses to negative reviews, can increase trust and loyalty. According to Sensis research, 51 per cent of Australians are more likely to trust a brand that interacts positively with customers on social media; 26 per cent of people said that if a business responded to their negative review, they would be open to changing their opinion of that business. Set up your social media accounts to notify you if there’s a customer message waiting for a response.

Outsource social media

If you’re really struggling to keep on top of social but can’t afford to hire a full-time staff member, virtual assistants can provide excellent and affordable support for small business owners to help manage their social. You may find your existing marketing company offers this service. If writing isn’t your strong point this can also be a way to look more professional.

With traditional media shrinking by the day – the pandemic has resulted in dozens of magazines and newspapers closing down – social media is an increasingly critical medium for businesses to be in. A significant number of people check social media the moment they wake up – so you can literally start the day with your customers!

Michelle Prak, UniSA Online tutor and Director, Prak Communications