How apps could improve business performance for your SME

Small businesses are increasingly turning to apps to improve business performance, generate sales leads, win new business, keep existing customers and promote their brand.

Rob Hodges, digital executive at Mobiles.co.uk, believes small businesses should rethink their strategy with mobile devices in mind. He believes with the rollout of 4G, small businesses can place greater reliance on smartphone and tablet applications to make decisions and streamline processes.

Hodges recommends Pocket, a productivity app which allows users to save media for later. He says: “One key benefit is the ability to store files offline, making it ideal for catching up on the work commute. As business leaders communicate across multiple devices during the day, the cloud-based nature of Pocket ensures content can be viewed at a more convenient time.”

Other small businesses are using social media apps to connect with customers and enhance sales. Mike Tomlinson, small business director at UK mobile network EE shares the example of street food seller Mark Gevaux using Twitter to share videos of his ribs being made in order to entice new customers to buy his product.

William Agush, founder and chief executive officer of app Shuttersong has been working with a number of small businesses to improve their social media campaigns. His app allows users to add 15 seconds of voice and sound or music to any digital photo. He recently worked with a fashion house, Leota Dresses in New York, to improve their publicity campaign. Agush says: “Leota used Shuttersong to promote their dresses since using the app they have had several hundred plays for the images.”

Another example of a small business using an app to help their performance is Sailign Logic. The company was set up in 2003 by Allie Smith with the purpose of offering individuals without connections to the elite yachting industry the chance to experience yacht racing. After receiving feedback from its customers in 2012, Sailing Logic decided to look for an easier way for customers to book tickets for its events. The company has now teamed up with online ticketing platform web app Bookitbee. Currently, 25% of their Royal Yachting Association (RYA) course bookings are now received via Bookitbee, which has saved the company a huge amount of office administration and processing time – so by the end of 2014 they expect to roll this feature out to include their yacht racing events.

Barnaby Lashbrooke, founder of virtual workforce platform Time Etc, uses a web app called SameWave, a tool that collects and reports data, like sales figures. He says: “Staff don’t have to sit through endless boring meetings [because of this app]. Instead everyone simply reports their performance via SameWave once a week.”

Lashbrooke also uses video conferencing: “We use it for everything: keeping in touch with clients, coordinating our remote workforce and staying in touch with each other in the office too. Its greatest appeal is that almost everyone knows it already and there is no training or learning required to use it.”

He adds: “We’ve also developed a Time etc mobile app, which helps business owners set tasks for their virtual workforce when they’re on the go. It means they can delegate all the jobs they don’t want to or can’t do to a team of trusted freelancers, who’ll get on the case straight away.”

These small business owners all use various apps to make their businesses more productive: from helping with administrative tasks, communicating quicker and more efficiently with staff globally and promoting themselves more directly via Twitter and Facebook.

Peter Chadha, founder of DrPete Inc., a strategic business and technology consultancy, says: “For a small business owner, apps also generally provide a richer and easier functionality than using web-based clients on a mobile handset or tablet. For instance, they can interact with mobile device functions such as the mic or camera, and they can control the user experience by touching and swiping, send data to and from the app provider, and they often work as well offline – as opposed to web-based solutions which are totally reliant on a reliable internet connection.”

Chadha adds: “There are a plethora of apps in the market to assist business owners and their staff. VOIP apps, for instance, can be used to dial in from local or even free phone numbers, which gives the perception to clients and prospects that the business is larger than it actually is. They can also use video conferencing and instant messaging to communicate remotely, use location apps to locate staff, and there are even apps for time recording or billing and project management.”

Although a lot of small businesses are using apps daily, only 22% of small businesses provide apps for their employees to use at work. Recent research (which questioned 1,083 small businesses) found that 37% of small business employees – equivalent to 5 million UK workers – believed they would be more productive if provided with apps tailored to their job role.

SMEs and how to use social media better

Social Media can seems daunting and at times give SMEs an inferiority complex. Things are going seemingly well with a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profile, and then you notice that your tally of followers is overshadowed tenfold by the mega brands in your industry.

Without the dedicated team that many large brands have working on their social media output, it can seem like an uphill struggle. However, following a few simple guidelines can soon bring results for those who are willing to put in a little time and effort to immerse their SME in the right circles of social media.

Once social media influence is gained, and built on, companies will find they are in the enviable position of having direct access to their customers, prospects, suppliers and future talent pool at the click of a mouse.

1. Get it kickstarted

There is an inconvenient truth associated with social media. You can follow the advice of every “guru” or “ninja” (some social media experts really do use this term) but if you only have a handful of followers, your wonderful content and messages are unlikely to have much impact.

“The good news is LinkedIn, Facebook and twitter all now allow companies to set small budgets of just a few pounds per day to advertise through suggested posts, recommended followers and so on.

“You can tap in the type of people you want to reach by where they are and what they’re interested in, and you normally only pay when they click on your advert. It’s a very fast and effective way to start building a following.”

2. Treat it like a friendly local pub

Engaging with people through social media is simple so long as you remember a golden rule, says Penny Power, who advises the government on digital marketing, authored the Digital Business Britain Manifesto and founded the Digital Youth Academy. SMEs, she advises, should treat social media channels like they would their new local pub.

“If you’d just moved in to a town or village you wouldn’t open the door of your new local pub and shout that you’re a plumber or an architect and people should come over and give you business,” she explains.

“You’d join in with what was going on around you, chat to people and get to know them and let them know what you do, so they know about you when they need your service, or can recommend you to a friend. It’s exactly the same in social media. Look up Facebook pages, LinkedIn communities and Twitter hashtags for your area and expertise and get involved in conversations to build up a following. Don’t just keep saying how good you are and how everyone should buy from you – it’s very off-putting.”

3. Be expert and small

Never be concerned by mega brands having millions of followers while you only have a handful. By researching people who have influence in your business sector and who are interested in what you do, the universal truth is that 1,000 engaged users are worth more to you than 10,000 who have simply liked a big brand to enter a competition.

“Don’t try to compete with big brands, because if you concentrate too much on the competition, you’ll never get anything done,” advises Iona St Joseph, social media account manager at A Social Media Agency.

“If someone is already dominating your sector on certain social networks, you just need to find another way to stand out. They might be first to break news on their giant corporate blog, but by updating your accounts and blog in a friendly, humorous way, you’ll begin to stand out as a more personable business that people can engage with.”

4. Monitor to improve

The very simple rule that all social media experts would pass on to any SME is that if you are going to submit a post, offer, picture or video make sure it is interesting, informative or entertaining. If it does not tick at least one of these boxes, think long and hard about posting something that does.

This golden rule will help social media followers feel appreciated, says Rhian Farnworth, social media manager at online marketing agency DBD. However, businesses should not stop there. They need to continually be improving, and that comes from constant monitoring.

“The best way to make sure you’re engaging properly is to monitor, monitor and monitor,” she advises.

“You can do this by keeping an eye on mentions and conversation surrounding your brand online. There are plenty of free tools to track when your company is being talked about. Try Google Alerts to have new results delivered to your inbox as they appear, Socialmention.com to monitor content from across the web talking about your brand and set up Hootsuite to see live streams of content and conversations from top social networks that mention your company, brand and relevant keywords you want to monitor.

“This is the best way to identify what’s working and what’s not. By continually focusing on techniques and content that is successful, you’ll grow your audience and create a big social buzz around your brand.”

5. Treat it with respect

Do not leave social media solely to the intern or young person in the office who “gets” the internet.

All accounts should be set up under the SME owner’s name and email so a member of staff leaving can no longer remotely post and does not take passwords with them.

Similarly, all marketing messages should be approved by senior members of staff, and all interaction online should be handled responsibly and professionally, no matter how strong the temptation may be to tell a third party they are acting inappropriately.