Bloggers know it. Google knows it. But, many businesses still have an unhealthy shyness about blogging. Mark Ford of Red Website Design even went so far as to say 'social media strategies will fail without one'. I agree. It is the lifeblood of all your business social media messages, and the greatest information archive easily available. So how do you get others on the blog bandwagon?

There is still a lot of stress around social media. How much time will it take? Where will I get the information? Who is going to manage it? All relevant questions. But, a blog can address all of them. Get your communications staff person or consultant to generate your blogs. Keep them short: 3 - 5 points (paragraphs). Incorporate 2 or 3 links. Use the blog information to feed your hungry social media sites – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. There, that's one stress factor under control.

Blogging is most successful when integrated into your marketing strategy. Just plan for it, and, it will happen. Think media release, e-blast, advertising and social media—all rolled into one. Tools like Hootesuite mean you can manage what you say, which platform it goes on and when it goes live on just one site. It will become like any other daily task - reading emails, going to meetings, having a cappuccino. When it is part of your daily routine, you don't have to think about it - just do it. Another stress factor sorted.

Ford lists nine reasons for blog success in social media strategies. If you are struggling to get your managers, team or self committed to a blog, here's motivation from Ford:

• Websites with blogs have 97% more inbound traffic.
• Majority of US consumers purchase based on blog posts, reading 5-10 per day.
• 70% of consumers learn about a company through their blog.

Now you can persuade others to join in. With your team of blog supporters behind you, you are no longer going it alone. Strength in numbers - and the numbers are there to prove it.

Blog and be happy - and see the healthy business benefits.

It is not unusual to hear a variety of reasons why a SME has not or will not commit to social media marketing (SMM). Time. Money. Resources. But, a little of all of these can generate big wins. And, SME teams have advantages over larger organizations in getting a great ROI on their social media initiatives. Today's clients expect to find you there: that is a great reason to get going – whether it's for the first time, reviving your existing platforms or launching a new campaign. Here are reasons why SME and SMM are a great team.

5 ways SMEs are already on a winning streak

Social media is all about engaging with clients. For many, scoring points is just about getting in the social media marketing game.

1. SM users love following or liking their favourite bands, products or services. Turn your live clients into social media followers and watch your fan base grow.
2. Business satisfaction feedback from fans is just a click away. You can keep on top of your clients' feelings about  your services and products without doing a survey.
3. Complete the social media marketing circle. Update your blog, then tweet, then post on Facebook, update your LinkedIn page. Social media marketing is known to drive more traffic back to your website. Great ROI for one play.
4. Keep up with the competition. They are already on social media. Know their game plan.
   
5. Gain your winning reputation by providing quality content and new fans can become new clients.

5 Reasons SMEs  are most likely to succeed with social media

SMEs survive and thrive because they are customer-oriented, flexible and responsive. Social media marketing needs all these business aspects, and gives you established, online platforms to take the lead with your business. You can succeed because you:

1. already know your clients and what they want.
2. can move quickly to answer questions and solve problems.
3. have great information to share at your fingertips.
4. can easily build a team to share updates from every area of your business.
5. appreciate the importance of and are open to feedback.

All of this makes social media a great fit for the SME's business strategies.

5 great social media tips

1. Timing: Know when people are checking into their favourite social media sites. Facebook users are more active at the end of the week. Twitter users prefer late afternoon and evening.
2. 80/20: 80 percent interesting topics, tips and trends. 20 percent what you are up to.
3. A picture is worth a thousand words: This is even truer if it really supports the content.
4. Interactivity scores big: Offer deals online. Keep content fresh. Ask questions.
5. Game plan is key: Make sure social media is integrated into all planning – products, events, announcements.

Be a winner: Be positive. Celebrate. Congratulate. Appreciate. Today's social media fans can become your future loyal followers.
Make social media marketing a key component of all your SME business plans.

Resources:
Digitaldonut.com
Brandspaycheck.com
Syscap.com