Social media mistakes hold tourism SMEs back

- By Yabo Dyakopu
Marketing Strategist and Founder of Lion Media Group Lebo Lion. Source: Thabang Radebe
Comments | 0
Sign up to our mailing list and get daily news headlines and weekly features directly to your inbox free.

At the recent TBCSA Leadership Conference, Marketing Strategist and Founder of Lion Media Group Lebo Lion challenged small business to reconsider their social media strategies.

“Real business people don’t use social media – that was the mentality in the early 2000s but it’s 2025 now and things have drastically changed,” she said. “Successful commercial businesses use social media as a foundational tool for success.”

Marketing Strategist and Founder of Lion Media Group Lebo Lion at the 2025 TBCSA Leadership Conference. Source: Thabang Radebe

She described social platforms as the “biggest open market” with 5.4 billion users and stressed their role as more than just entertainment. According to Lion, platforms function simultaneously as amplification, community building, brand building and search and research tools. “If they can’t find you on social media, you’re not a credible enough source,” she said.

Lion highlighted the mistakes many small businesses make online:

  • Failing to build brands: Without a clear brand identity, businesses struggle to stand out in crowded markets.
  • Not building communities: Beyond customers, businesses need “evangelists” who spread word of mouth, supported through user-generated content, ambassador programmes, forums and events.
  • Lack of strategy: Many owners post without understanding their audience. “Social media is about who are you serving, where are they and what do they want,” she said. Lion also urged delegates to go back to the drawing board if they find their social media isn’t yielding favourable results. “It’s never paying more on ads; it’s always strategy.”
  • Neglecting influencer partnerships: While often dismissed as expensive, Lion argued influencers are essential. “Influencers are the biggest personal brands online. If they’re not talking about you, you’re not going to pop up first when people are searching.”
  • Ignoring platform dynamics: Each platform requires different content and approaches from short visual formats on Instagram and TikTok to more conversational content on LinkedIn.
  • Not using data: She urged entrepreneurs to monitor analytics weekly. “Social media moves that quickly – a week is a month.”