Social media marketing is no more an option for small businesses. It has become mandatory since SMBs rely heavily on cheap and inexpensive marketing. To create effective social media marketing campaigns, choosing the right marketing plan as well as tools is absolutely vital. 

With the help of social media solutions, you can streamline your campaigns, and make it easier to manage your account and post regularly. For this purpose, you should be looking for solutions that can do the following tasks:

• Scheduling and publishing posts 
• Monitoring conversions
• Possessing in-depth analytical capabilities 
• Integrating with other programs 

Social Media Problems

The major target for every small-medium business is to get its brand right there in front of the large audience and get them to like it, interact with it, and purchase it.

So, the problems related to social media usage haven’t changed that much. These issues include:

Problem #1: You Don’t Get Enough Time

When it comes to utilizing social media for marketing, you can easily feel overwhelmed. There’s always a thought in mind that you’ve missed something. And that’s due to the amount of distraction on social networks that always keeps us pushing for something new and more valuable.

For example, planning a Facebook campaign is always difficult because there’s too much diversion to pull you back and procrastinate. 

So, what should you do?

Here are a few things you could do to make your time spent on Social Media count:

Solution #1: Be more efficient with time planning. Divide your time in small chunks and assign a specific task for each chunk. You can use Google Calendar and share it with your social media team.

Solution #2: Mind map your targets to make them more tangible. Mind mapping always helps in visualizing problems and finding their solutions. And it’s quite simple, too; just draw a circle with the label Social Media, then draw lines to connect smaller circles or other shapes (indicating problems) and then draw arrows directed towards these issues and label them with possible solutions in your mind. 

Solution #3: Follow the Pomodoro technique to get loads of work done in a small amount of time. There are some handy tools like Pomodoro Time, and Fotrack, etc.   

Problem #2: Connecting with Your Customers

For small businesses, social media is an excellent platform to debate and discuss ideas as a way to engage the audience.

You can share ideas and get feedback from your customers in real-time. Plus, you can always ask for suggestions to improve your products. You can also target prospects by asking them what they want to see in your product. Perhaps, you can try indirect questions leading to your products. 

But getting in touch with leads, interested parties, and customers has become way more challenging. And it’s even more demanding when you’re giving customer support through social media. You cannot be present 24/7 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other platforms. 

Here are a few simple and realistic solutions:

Solution #4: Replying within seconds is not only impossible, but it also seems robotics, more like being spammy. Isn’t it? Why don’t you offer a humanistic approach? Put a time block for giving a response. For example, you can reply to customers every day between 1 – 3 pm (weekends not included). Running a live Weekly Webinar is also a good option, especially if you’re providing services. 

Solution #5: Let other team members connect to your company’s social profile so that they can reply instantly to customers’ queries. Authorize some personnel to directly message customers to provide personal assistance. 

Problem #3: Providing ROI

Still, after so many years, social media marketers find it difficult to measure ROI. Some of them are still unsure whether Social Media delivers any kind of return.

That’s a bit shocking but true.

Almost 60% of digital marketers think that measuring ROI is the biggest challenge for them. This is why, there is an ample amount of web content available that teaches how to utilize SMM for converting followers, make money, improve sales, etc. 

What to do?

Solution #6: Your social media performance report should be connected to your KPIs and targets. In this way, it will be easier for you to track your goals and adjust your activities in real-time. You can also set budgets and make adjustments in it when needed. For goals, they should be realistic and tailored to your niche and industry. Always define the KPIs and budget before initiating a social media campaign. 

Solution #7: A/B test your social campaigns targeted at different sets of audiences. You can easily build campaigns based on the demographics of your audience. 

Problem #4: How to Stand Out

Of all the markets around the world, social media is arguably the most competitive, with immense potential to capture the audience as well as more challenges.

So, obviously, it will be quite difficult for new businesses to get settled and build their identity.

The battle is not only amongst the small creatures, but there is also a big-fish competition, too – Coca Cola Vs Pepsi, Mc Donald’s vs KFC, Zara vs H&M, and plenty of others.

But one thing that all of them have in common is a digital brand for a specific audience.

To build a unique identity you have to explain to the audience why you are different. And there are millions of businesses out there claiming to be different. And that’s probably the biggest challenge you need to face. 

Top Social Media Problems: What’s the solution then?

Solution #8: To build a better brand identity than your competitors, you need to study them thoroughly, starting with the personality of the company. And there are plenty of unique elements to be found, such as blog posts, podcasts, presentations, sales copies, product descriptions, and press releases. These elements will give you a lot of ideas to make your brand a different one. 

Solution #9: Sticking to the basics, at times, can help. If you offer excellent customer support, odds will be in your favor. Many businesses, big or small, leave customers unsatisfied. Customers, simply don’t return to them after a horrible experience. It can work in your favor. Build a strong image as a problem solver and be nice and empathic when needed. For a small business, helping gestures will help you quickly gain recognition and create a problem-solving brand.