This document discusses how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can benefit from using social media. It provides statistics showing that SMEs can increase sales, exposure, traffic, search rankings, and new business partnerships through social media. It emphasizes that social media is collaborative and community-building. It stresses aligning social media strategies with business objectives and having a comprehensive social business strategy to achieve marketing goals. It also provides a case study of how a startup hair salon review site used social media successfully to meet its business objectives.

2. SMEs USING SOCIAL…
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98% UK private sector businesses are SMEs
49% reduced overall marketing expenses
33% admitted to needing online support
51% reported increase in sales
88% generated exposure
72% increased traffic/subscribers
62% improved search rankings
56% resulted in new business partnerships
Sources: OPTIMISA RESEARCH LIMITED for Lloyds Bank
Office of National Statistics (ONS)
Social Media Examiner

3. a mindset
an attitude
it‟s relevant
it‟s collaborative
builds community
creates reaction
benefits people
the heart of any modern day enterprise.
“boring, traditional mass marketing is over, the only way
out is to stop being part of the herd and be remarkable.”
Seth Godin

4. “business
has changed. it is no longer a transaction
based mentality but an engagement oriented journey.
it leverages the genius of the crowd in order to
achieve it‟s success.”
vala afshar & brad martin;
the pursuit of
social business excellence.

5. image, company culture,
communications, revenue,
profit, market share,
technology and above all
it‟s customers.
“It‟s not about the money...
we just wanna make
the world dance!…”

7. • brand culture
• brand strategy
• brand guidelines
“brand is a set of associations that a person
makes with a company, product, service,
individual or organization.”the design council

8. research
explore
outreach
creative content
test
follow up
“do your brand homework &
know exactly who you are targeting…”

9. who
when
why
where
what

10. a social business strategy:
a set of visions, goals, plans & resources
that align social media initiatives
with business objectives.
© altimeter group
brand strategy + business objectives + digital communication strategy +
social media strategy + offline marketing strategy =
social business strategy

11. CASE STUDY: STARTUP
CLIENT: NO SCRUNCHIE
AFRO HAIR SALON REVIEW SITE
OBJECTIVES:
• To become the „go to‟ brand for all things afro hair
• To create a current and unique afro hair community
• To distinguish the good afro salons from the bad
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES:
• X amount of afro salon reviews by X date
to obtain financial funding for development

12. HOW?
• Use social to target reviewers/salons.
• To leverage brand / create brand advocates.
• Create long term relationships with Kis
#GASA
The Good Afro Salon Awards: First of it‟s kind in UK.
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Encouraged target market to vote with their feet
Encouraged afro salons to get reviews from their clients
Created online traffic to NoScrunchie and their target market
Created offline events (meetups, trade shows, conferences etc.)
Resulting in a yearly award system for the afro communities.
All involved to network and reach unique goals.

13. if it
can be
searched
it can be
optimized!

14. CONNECT

16. the average person
uses „connected device‟
34 times a day
a good enough reason to utilize social
and integrate it into your existing
marketing efforts!

17. business objectives
digital communication objectives
marketing objectives
how can social media help?

18. search key influencers
organize ki database
build relationships
collaborate
“look to your right and to your left, and to those bigger than you
and don‟t forget the new kid on the brand block.”