When is the right time to jump on a digital trend and make the most of it as a business? As a small business owner, you only have a limited amount of time and resources to spend and new innovations appear all the time. Social media marketing is no longer limited to Twitter and Facebook. Snapchat for example, has become incredibly popular and is starting to make an impact beyond its initial teenage user base. Seems like the perfect time to get involved – or is it? Here’s what to consider when it comes to making the right choices about reacting to trends.
Can you find the right trends?
In January 2016, a live stream video of a puddle on Periscope gripped a nation of eccentric Brits for an entire day, who followed the #DrummondPuddleWatch hashtag. But what was most interesting wasn’t the puddle itself (surprise, surprise), it was the brands and businesses that engaged with the hashtag on social media. If the gag was good enough, and the brand’s tone of voice was appropriate, sometimes it worked. But more often than not, it went horribly wrong, with brands awkwardly shoehorning their messaging into a puddle in Newcastle. Small businesses can avoid such faux pas by having a clear brand point of view and a checklist of criteria that a trend or event needs to have before your business gets involved. Ask yourself: does this connect back to the work we do?
Have you got the time to make the most of it?
If you have a presence on social media, it’s inevitable that your customers will start directing queries, questions and complaints to your social channels. It inevitably becomes essential that you have the resources to manage each channel effectively. ASOS Customer Care has it’s own dedicated Twitter handle and generally responds to customer queries within 10 minutes. Obviously this is a large company, but generally the aim should be to respond within 24 hours (even if just to advise that your team will look into it), however queries come through.
Can you be creative?
Pokémon Go is a whirlwind app that has captured people’s attention far more than the developer ever could have predicted. It’s been installed over 100m times, and earned more than $10m revenue every day in the process. Many small businesses have embraced the game in order to reap the rewards. Cafes and bars all over the country are offering discount deals on Pokémon-inspired drinks and snacks if players show the game in store. Others have become designated Pokéstops and taken advantage of the subsequent increase in footfall.
Is it right for your business?
Before launching a new platform for your business, think about whether your business needs to be there. It’s great to be involved in a trend that the world is embracing but if it feels forced, it’s not going to perform well for you. If you are a business that deals primarily with other businesses, you probably don’t need to be on Snapchat, for example. However, if you’re a business with a well-known team and a public-facing image, it could be perfect for you.
Have you timed it well?
Timing is everything. With 150m daily active users, Snapchat acts as a benchmark for most other platforms. In the last 15 months, it has introduced new ad formats and subsequently expanded its user base. So successful is its ephemeral photo feature, that competitor Instagram has launched its own version – #InstagramStories. Users are now able to create images and video stories that will be available for 24 hours. It could be the perfect time to try jumping on something new.
Content on this page is paid for and provided by Kia Fleet sponsor of the Guardian Small Business Network Accessing Expertise hub.
