Back in 2005, only 5% of people bothered with using social media. These days, that number is 72% and rising.
It’s no surprise, then, that businesses took notice of this opportunity. Out of the many ways to market your business, social media became one of the most critical avenues. In fact, it’s fair to say that the value of social media has revolutionized marketing.
If you’re not using social media to market your business, you need to get started right now. After all, everyone else is already doing it. Don’t wait to reach the “right” number of followers or research every buzzword related to your business.
Need more convincing? In this article, we’ll go over the importance of social media marketing and why you need to get in on it.
It Builds Brand Awareness
Question: what’s the main thing stopping people from becoming your customers? Answer: they have no idea it exists.
This is where social media comes in. It boosts your visibility among your potential customers and lets you reach a wider audience. Plus, creating an account on major social network platforms is 100% free, so you have nothing to lose.
Of course, building brand awareness depends on having a good strategy. Do you want to bring shoppers into your local stores or have new people discover your services? Keeping your strategy specific is key to choosing the right social media channels.
It Encourages Engagement
Engaging with your audience is one of the best ways to promote your business. On social media, this involves responding to posts, comments, and direct messages.
Beyond these tasks, you can use social media for more advanced techniques. For example, you can run giveaways of your products or reach out to influencers to promote your brand. The key is to invest in the presence you’re creating.
Bonus tip: creating engaging video content doesn’t take a lot of effort. All you need is a smartphone, a tripod, and some decent lighting. Before you go live, do a test run to make sure your connection has enough speed to avoid interruptions.
It’s Proof of Your Authenticity
Many businesses use social media as a tool instead of a weapon. They publish dry, corporate-style posts and wonder why their views aren’t going up.
What your followers want is for you to be authentic with them. Let your personality shine through and connect with them on a more personal level. This will help you attract new customers and create a sense of trust with your followers.
This is why you should know how your brand voice represents your business. It can be formal and friendly or funny and casual, and you need to practice getting it right. As long as you stay true to who you are, this shouldn’t prove too hard.
It Boosts Your SEO Presence
Having an SEO presence is a good way to show the impact on social media on business performance. Of course, this is only true if you do it right.
See, most businesses fail to adapt to search engines updating their algorithm. Best practices for higher rankings change on a regular basis. If you want to keep or improve your business visibility, you need to exploit every possible opportunity.
In other words, posting on your company blog isn’t good enough anymore. The good news: social media is still a great option for publicizing your content. Linking your social media profile to your website also creates a high-quality backlink.
It Allows You to Provide Support
One big benefit of social media lies in breaking the barrier between businesses and consumers. This can be of great help with customer service.
Back in the day, people had to call a customer service line to solve problems. Now, they can turn to Twitter or Facebook and get their answers much faster. By offering this kind of support, you’ll develop a reputation for being a responsive brand.
Focus on creating a system for tracking customer questions, complaints, and comments. This allows you to respond to them as soon as possible. Listen to criticism, try to be as helpful as you can, and make your customers feel heard.
It’s Free Marketing
Not every business can afford huge ad campaigns. The good news: social media marketing provides plenty of bang for your buck.
The thing about social media is that it allows you to reach the audience you’re most interested in. To do that, you’ll need to build an effective ad campaign. Avoid salesy ads and opt for content that entertains, educates, or does both at once.
Once you find your audience of choice, you can market your products to them directly. This can involve exposure techniques such as hashtags or influencer collaborations. In some cases, all you’ll need is well-executed advertising.
It Communicates Authority
In this digital age, consumers are getting savvier by the day. Many of them consult social media before making any sort of decision.
When they look up your business, will they find an empty storefront or a source of information? By setting up robust profiles, you’ll build up your brand’s authority. This makes a great first impression and paints your business in a positive light.
One way to show that your business is trustworthy is to prove your expertise. This includes writing industry-related pieces or expanding on your business plan. By showing what your business offers, you establish confidence in potential customers.
More on the Value of Social Media
No matter how you run your business, social media is something you can’t avoid. It’s simply too useful, potent, ubiquitous, and cost-effective.
Though it should be a key part of your marketing, social media doesn’t have to be stressful to manage. The first step is simple: create an account and start engaging with your customers. Once you’re done with that, you can start looking at numbers.
Want to know more about the value of social media and its impact on your business? Trying to make sure your social media campaign is as effective as it can be? Contact us right here — we’ll get back to you soon!