In a digital world where 52% of brand discovery occurs through social media, the lines between the online and offline worlds are increasingly porous. For SMEs looking to establish a customer base and build relationships, social media is an essential tool. However, the reality of online trends, discourse and platform changes mean that keeping up with the changes on social media can be a significant investment.
While not every business has the need – or resources – to hire a full time social media manager, there are a few basic best practices that can help SMEs approach branding strategically, focusing on clarity, consistency, and authenticity. Here, we cover seven key principles for building and sustaining a powerful social media brand presence that can stand the sea changes online.
1. Define your brand purpose and voice
At its most basic, your social media should be a natural extension of your existing brand. In non-marketing terms, consistency just means that the experience of interacting with your business online should be consistent with the products, services and customer experience you would offer in person.
Your social media presence should reflect your existing values and purpose – expressing why your business exists, beyond simply making money, and ensuring that it resonates with your target audience. For instance, are you a B2B brand aiming to build thought leadership, or a consumer-focused SME bringing a personal touch and creativity into your industry? A defined purpose and voice help to differentiate your brand from competitors and create a consistent customer journey.
2. Choose platforms that make sense for your industry and message
With so many social media platforms, it’s tempting to try to be everywhere, but SMEs often gain better results by focusing on a select few platforms where their audience is most active. Each platform serves different demographics: for instance, LinkedIn works well for B2B engagements, while Instagram suits visual, consumer-oriented brands.
Start with one or two key platforms aligned with your target demographic and business goals, working with your customers where they already are rather than trying to establish a new community from scratch.
3. Stick to consistent visuals, rather than trying to show off
Not every business has a full time marketing department or designer on staff.
That’s where consistency in visual branding, such as logo placement, colour palette, and imagery can do a lot of the legwork in driving recognition. For SMEs, even subtle visual elements repeated across platforms can create a cohesive look that customers remember. In fact, a consistent colour palette and style can increase brand recognition by up to 80%.
A one-page document with simple brand guidelines covering colours, fonts, and logo usage can ensure these are applied uniformly, giving a distinct ‘look’ to your business. Tools like Canva offer easy templates to create cohesive designs without needing advanced design skills – and if in doubt, real photos of your team, customers and work can be the most authentic way to communicate.
4. Engage in your community
Social media thrives on two-way engagement – not just shouting your message from the rooftops. Commenting, sharing, and responding to followers helps build genuine connections, which are often the key differentiators for small brands. Responding to comments and participating in community discussions builds trust and loyalty.
This can be as simple as setting aside a little time each day to engage with your followers by replying to comments, liking their posts, and sharing user-posted content. Use interactive tools like polls or Q&As to encourage dialogue and make customers feel part of your community, whether it’s on the news of the day, potential new services or your local area.
5. Focus on customer stories
One area where SMEs can excel over larger brands is by sharing real, relatable customer stories. Showcasing how your product or service impacts individual customers humanises your brand and builds trust. According to recent data, customer testimonials and user-generated content are highly effective, with a strong impact on purchase decisions for 79% of consumers.
In the course of your day-to-day conversations with customers, make a point of gathering stories and feedback. This can help you regularly share testimonials, photos, or case studies based on real stories, including your clients in the conversation. With permission, feature “day-in-the-life” posts of customers using your product or service can add authenticity and relatability.
6. Balance trendiness with relevance
Social media trends change rapidly, and while engaging with trending content can boost visibility, it’s essential to make sure you align trends with your brand’s purpose and audience expectations. Jumping on irrelevant trends risks making your brand appear insincere or out of touch – not to mention ageing quickly in the realm of online discourse.
Select trends that match your brand’s values or industry. For example, if you’re in sustainable products, align with environmental awareness days or green initiatives rather than random popular trends. Use trending hashtags strategically to reach wider audiences but ensure they are relevant to your post and understandable to your audience.
7. Plan and measure
Consistency is the backbone of successful social media branding. A lack of regular, quality content diminishes engagement and brand presence. Platforms prioritise accounts that post and regularly, so the first step is just finding a rhythm that works.
Planning ahead ensures you maintain a steady posting schedule that reinforces your brand’s message. Most platforms also include a dashboard with metrics to help you review what’s working and to adjust accordingly.
Create a monthly content calendar that aligns posts with business goals, seasonal events, and relevant holidays. Use scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to automate posts and free up time to engage with followers. Review analytics monthly to identify top-performing content and optimise future posts.
Keep the conversation going
For SMEs, social media presents a forum to mirror the relationships and service-levels that lie at the heart of the appeal of smaller businesses. You don’t need to go out there and try and set the online world abuzz with every new trend – much more trustworthy is a brand that says what they mean, keeps up with customers and tells a consistent story.
