On any given day, at any given time, if you take a look at the people around you, there’s a good chance that many of them have their heads down looking at their phone screens. Have you ever wondered what everyone is looking at all the time? Most of their thumbs are probably scrolling through many of the popular #socialmedia apps.
Believe it or not, 79 percent of the population in the United States has a social networking profile. That’s a lot of people and there’s no sign of this growth slowing down any time soon.
So as a #businessowner, wouldn’t you like to capture those people and direct them toward your business? Even just grabbing the attention of a tiny fraction of those people could help grow your business tremendously.
We’re here to tell you, that social media is the most efficient (and affordable) way to reach target customers and clients for your business.
So you may be thinking to yourself, “Okay, this sounds great and all, but does my business actually need to be on social media?”
Here’s the short answer: Yes, absolutely.
Here’s the long answer and 10 important reasons (although, there are many more) why your business needs an active, strong and engaging presence on social media:
1. Social media helps drive traffic to your website.
If you’re trying to get more eyes and clicks to your website, you’re in the right place. Social media allows you to include links in your posts. So not only are you delivering valuable information to your target customers, they’re now clicking directly to your site for more information.
2. It makes targeted marketing simple.
When you post on social media, it is typically shown to your current followers. These are people who “opted in” to following you, so we already know that they are interested in your business or service. Even better? If you’re looking to grow your following to a very specific audience and location, you can reach them easily using paid social media advertising. (We’ll dive in to the topic of paid social media ads in a future post.)
3. Social media naturally improves your site’s SEO.
When you Google the name of your company, one of the first things to pop up should be your website, then followed by the pages to your linked social media accounts. Since your social media pages are most likely going to show up on page one of a Google search, it’s in your best interest to have those pages populated and consistently active.
4. Social media allows you to connect with your audience on a personal level.
Gone are the days where you pay big bucks for a television or radio ad and cross your fingers in hopes that it resonates with the people who see or hear it. Social media gives us the ability to get to know our followers, discover their likes and dislikes and tailor our content specifically to them.
5. Customer service is streamlined with social media.
Thanks to social media, we have a direct connection with each of our customers. Now, when someone wants to ask a question (or complain) to a brand or company, they no longer have to call a 1-800 number and hope that someone can help. They can send a quick Tweet, comment or direct message to the business of their choosing and get a response instantly. This is a vital component to your social media strategy. You should always respond to these inquiries as quickly as possible to show that you care about your customers and that you are there to help. This is one of the best ways to build a strong relationship with your customers.
6. Social media is the new public relations.
Social media has completely changed the world of traditional public relations. Now that we have direct contact with writers and publications on social media, it’s much easier to connect with them. This is not to say that traditional public relations is no longer needed, but it tremendously cuts out the middleman and lets you get your word out to the masses without having to depend on the press.
7. Social media allows you to monitor your competition.
Who are your competitors? What are they doing on social media, and how can you do it better? Social media allows us to anonymously check out what our competitors are doing. This is a great way to see what type of content their posting, who they follow, who follows them, what time of day they post and which type of post performed best. This is not an excuse to copy them, but to see what has worked for them and see how you can improve on it and make it better for your business.
8. It’s free!
Everyone can create and post on any social media account for free. ZERO dollars…for real! The only thing you would potentially have to spend money on is the optional paid advertising. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of this? If you’re handling social media yourself, we recommend starting with one channel and doing it well before adding another account or channel to your plate.
9. Social media expands your potential reach.
Being active on social media allows more potential customers to discover your brand online. For example, on Twitter, you can search Tweets with key words related to your product or service and connect with the people who tweeted them. This gives you the perfect opportunity to start a conversation, educate them on news, current happenings and perhaps influence a new sale.
10. Using social media positions you as an expert.
When you use social media to educate your audience, you are immediately established as an expert in your industry. When your followers see this, you will be the first brand that comes to mind when they need help or assistance in this field. With social media, you are in the perfect place to answer questions and give advice pertaining to your specialties without ever forcing or telling anyone to purchase from you.
We could really go on and on about how important it is to utilize social media for your business, but we’ll stop here. If you have any questions regarding social media, or want to continue this conversation, give us a shout on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Thanks for reading!
Much ❤️,
Your friends at Rosey Social🌹