7 ways SMEs can use Social Media to attract new customers

Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs, are the fuel that drive the engine of every developed economy all over the world. As Nigerians look forward to a new government, I believe that entrepreneurs must position themselves to increase monthly turn over and engender exponential cash flow by leveraging on social media. Here are seven things to do to take your business to the next level. social-media-iconsStart with the end on mind: I have seen companies who are using social media just because it is the rave of the moment. Most times, they don’t achieve as much as those who use social media with a clear-cut vision. When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. Multiply your results: Understand that social media provides exponential results. Try to monitor the result you get on each platform. Once you stumble on a magic formular, use more of it with some innovation. Learn how to engage people on Facebook. Facebook now has about 1.2 billion users. Researchers have revealed that for every 7 minute people spend on the internet, a minute is spent on Facebook alone. Sharing a status update, tagging friends and fans in a photo and commenting on posts goes viral easily if done properly. Take it slow: Nothing happens overnight. It takes time to develop relationships and establish credibility with your brand and your target audience. Over time, events and a steady pace will win out. Rushing leads to mistakes. Be flexible: Circumstances change, not every strategy works, and you need to also be willing to recognize that it is time to try something new. Don’t stick to a strategy that is not working for you. Hang on: Purchase decisions are made from the subconscious mind. You must master the art of marketing – use pictures, beautiful words, and recommendations from satisfied customers. Experts say people need to hear your message 27 times before making a purchase decision. Don’t bore your Fans. Balance is important in everything. While you have to keep being in the eyes of your customers, be careful. Draw the line between being persistent and being forceful. You will always know when people are getting bored. People will let you know in their comments and all that. Be persistent in implementing your plan and in monitoring whether you’re reaching the objectives that will take you to your goal. Combine your methods: The last thing you should do to leverage on social media is to use all the aforementioned methods.