There’s no denying the numerous advantages a small business can reap from having an online presence. Most notably, this allows your customers to communicate their preferences easily.
1. Increase Sales
Nowadays, it is almost unheard of for businesses not to have at least some type of social media presence. While having just Twitter and Facebook accounts might seem sufficient for business promotion purposes, social media marketing offers businesses much more.
Searches of specific products or services online often don’t stop with Google results alone – people also scroll through their social media feeds to see what others are saying about it – this makes it vitally important for businesses to ensure their social media accounts are engaging and stand out amongst competitors.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter provide small businesses with an avenue for reaching their target audiences without breaking the bank on advertising costs. And thanks to all of the consumer data that’s readily available on these sites, businesses can tailor their content and advertising strategies according to what’s working.
2. Build Customer Relationships
When people search for your products or services online, approximately 50% are likely to click through to results which include social media channels for your products/services. This enables you to communicate directly with customers, address any problems they are having and build a loyal following of customers.
Furthermore, these platforms allow you to target customers using “lookalike audiences”. This feature enables Facebook to suggest groups which would make great fit customers for your business based on their interests and behaviours – providing an effective means of reaching potential new customers without having to invest in costly ad campaigns.
Even traditionally regulated industries (like medical device and financial companies) have begun making waves on social media by building authentic relationships with their consumers. For SMEs, this opens up opportunities to build and engage with an intimate network of existing and prospective customers – leading to sales increases and brand recognition gains – one of the primary drivers behind adding social media into your marketing plan.
3. Create Brand Awareness
An effective social media strategy can help your business attract new customers more efficiently than attempting to advertise to all populations at once. You can target audiences that you know would be most interested in your products or services and reach them directly instead of trying to blanket advertise across an entire population.
Facebook can also help people to recognise your brand. By sharing photos or videos of your team in action or humorous images that show real people behind the business, people feel more connected to it and will trust it more easily.
Noting the unique audience for each social media platform is key to finding success on these channels, so it is vital that you identify which ones your target market uses and tailor content specifically to their preferences – for instance older users might favour Facebook or Instagram while younger individuals may prefer TikTok; you can then tailor posts accordingly.
4. Increase Brand Reputation
People, in general, believe that all businesses need an active social media presence today; according to a study by company formation experts Turnerlittle, over 60% of companies currently maintain an active account on social media.
Establishing a robust social media profile can help your brand reputation by making sure more people learn about your services and offerings. Furthermore, social media offers a powerful means to manage customer feedback more efficiently as well as any complaints.
Social media provides more than just brand improvement; it can also help enhance advertising efforts, promote new products or services and drive more traffic to your website – leading to additional sales leads and sales opportunities.
Social media presence can make or break a business, so investing in this area of marketing is crucial to its growth. By not taking advantage of social media accounts now, businesses will miss out on an incredible opportunity for expansion. So don’t delay, start using them now!
5. Create a Community
No matter who you are as an individual or small business owner, social media can help you reach and engage your target audience. Social networks allow users to break down traditional barriers to communication by sharing ideas through text, pictures and videos or private messages sent only to select individuals.
Social media also allows businesses to build brand communities – customer associations that extend beyond products and services offered. Such groups can be created on various platforms like blog forums, review boards or even social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Studies conducted by business formation specialists Turnerlittle suggest it may come as a surprise that so few small businesses use social media for the promotion of their business, yet most don’t use it at all. A lack of time, staff or funding may prevent businesses from starting off on this powerful marketing tool but with proper planning, you can leverage its full potential – the key being commitment, planning and ongoing review.
Further Information
If you’d like to speak to us regarding our ability to design a quality website or perhaps how to maximise the potential of your existing website, please give us a call at 01883 372488 or contact us via Facebook and we’ll be happy to talk to you through your options.
