Social media has revolutionised businesses, helping SMEs to directly communicate with customers more effectively than ever before. With so many different platforms and channels to produce work for, it can feel overwhelming to know which will be the most effective for your business, and help to generate you the greatest ROI.
If a business doesn’t keep up to date with Social Media they risk losing a lot of business and a whole generation will not engage with them to the levels that would be expected.  However it is always important to take a multi action, cross media approach in order to get your marketing message across to the widest audience possible and for it to be fruitful in its efforts.
SME’s need to utilise every marketing avenue possible, with that in mind you have to be aware that spending so much time online takes you away from your local business sphere. Print marketing (posters, brochures etc…), exhibitions and local networking events put you back on the local map, and gets your business building a powerful, local fan club. Typically you’ll have a higher rate of conversion in your local area in comparison to internet based traffic. Your local marketing will act as the strong foundation allowing you to drive your profits and grow your business, especially when you consider local shoppers tend to have higher spending habits than new customers. As a general rule of thumb people typically like to spend their money locally. Printing is the perfect way to take advantage of your local connections.
With so many companies and brands using social media producing masses of content every day, it can also be difficult to have your content seen over your competition. Below we’ve listed out our top tips for social media marketing for SME businesses.
Consistency is key
Most businesses utilise more than one social media platform, creating different forms of content dependent on the channel it’s being posted on. Social media marketing is a fast-paced form of marketing, requiring regular content updates across multiple outlets, and, as a result, can lead to inconsistencies in terms of branding. As your marketing strategy should include both on and offline communications you need to ensure your social media branding coincides with your offline marketing strategy such as your printed and published materials.
It is crucial, therefore, that every time you post on any of your social media channels or produce marketing materials which will be printed, you maintain consistency across your logo, imagery, and tone of voice. The more effective you are at doing this, the quicker your audience will begin to recognise your brand and associate you with the product or service you offer. This means that next time the person is ready to make a purchase, they will consider your brand to buy from.
Multi-channel matters
Don’t think that because you’re using an online social media marketing strategy, you can neglect other channels like printing, email marketing, offline events and PR. Social media marketing is effective as part of a wider marketing strategy, and can be used in several ways.
You can run teaser campaigns on your social channels, highlighting upcoming activity offline, such as an event you’re running. You can run crowd-sourcing campaigns, asking your online audience to vote for preferences from anything including a new product or service you’re looking to launch, to the colour of a much-loved product.
Consider your social media marketing as one of the most effective ways to generate quick responses from your audience, but be aware that your customers will need to see your brand across multiple channels and in multiple media forms from brochure printing to e mailers,  Adwords, Billboards etc… in order for it to be an effective campaign.

Interested in social media marketing? Have a look at this fantastic article from Bulk.ly: 50+ Social Media Post Ideas for Your business Account

f you’re looking to streamline your social media marketing to make it more consistent, you will need to ensure your brand and logo look the same across all platforms, including your printing and online designs. Get in touch with us today to help you develop a brand that is instantly recognisable! PrintUK.com