Social Media Marketing for Small Business
The world of social media has exploded making it not only a mainstream method for connecting with people socially, but also an extremely useful tool for business. Social media platforms have become another way for businesses to be in front of customers, even if not physically. Relevanza, Inc., an internet marketing company, reported that 78 percent of small businesses use social media to attract more customers. That means that there are still 22 percent of businesses who are not integrating this form of marketing into their strategies. If you are not part of the 22 percent, you are leaving money on the table. Marketing your business using social media has countless advantages. Five of the most powerful benefits include:
- Solidifying your credibility
- Increasing your brand awareness
- Widening your customer reach
- Improving customer service
- Increasing your sales
Solidifying your credibility
Whichever platform you use for marketing purposes, you will have the opportunity to solidify your credibility as well as increase your brand awareness. Utilizing social media for your business will allow your current and future customers to engage with you digitally, even when they are not buying.
Increasing Your Brand Awareness
Providing educational, fun, and engaging content via Facebook or Twitter, etc. will help your audience feel connected to your business. Social media marketing is more about building relationships with your community and less about promoting your business. By building your digital community, you strengthen your credibility in your industry while staying top of mind. As people continue to turn to social media as a research tool to learn about a product or service, your brand is showcased. Electronic content is easily shared. When your audience likes your content, ideally they will pass it on to their friends and their audience, creating increased brand awareness and reach.
Widening Your Customer Reach
Social media platforms allow you to cast your net further to capture your audience. You are able to share your story with more people by utilizing social media as a vehicle. Regular content that offers your community something other than pure promotion is what digital communities are all about. Fun and educational pieces add value to your current and future customers. Having a social media strategy is a great way to create a buzz about your company and help you stand out from the crowd.
Improving Your Customer Service
Improving your customer service allows your community to get in touch with you as well as an additional way for you as a business owner to be able to respond and reach out to your community in return. When you're engaging with your community, the relationship deepen, creating a continuous wheel of communication. As you set aside a budget for traditional marketing, think about your social media marketing budget as well. Analyze what has been working for your business and what needs improvement when it comes to your social media package.
Increasing Your Sales
Finally, all of the above improvement to your digital strategy can lead to increased sales, which is the ultimate goal in business. The sales will come as relationships are built and communities are developed. Capturing your audience digitally is a process that requires a wooing of your consumers. It takes patience and time, as it typically doesn’t happen overnight. But keeping your audience entertained and connected will keep you in the forefront of their minds and is well worth it in the end.
In the comments, tell us how you use social media to connect with your tribe.