Many social media platforms are available and you’ve most likely wondered which one would provide the best fit for business marketing. Looking at the primary platforms, I’m sure the following come to mind:
- Snapchat
- YouTube
Should your business have an active presence on social media? Which platform should you use? Are there pro’s to using social media for your business? Let’s find out.
The 4 benefits of using Social Media for Your Business
1. Increase your Brand Awareness
Social media is one of the most cost-efficient digital marketing methods available. Every share, like, or engagement with your business increases your reach and exposes you to new audiences for little to no cost! To get started, create social media profiles for your business.
Having people interact with your content will not only increase brand awareness and begin building your reputation as a business, but each post that is shared will be introduced to a new network of individuals. As a result, it can lead the new network of people to becoming potential customers. Thus, a good social media presence is key to ensuring your audience recognizes your brand, services, and products.
2. Cost Effective
Marketing on social media could be the most cost-efficient part of your advertising strategy. Creating a profile is cost-free for almost all social networking platforms. Being cost-effective has it’s advantages. For example, you will see a greater return on investment and can maintain a larger budget for other critical marketing activities. Posting on these platforms is also FREE, and free is great! While PPC or boosting posts is an option, it is important to keep early costs down so you can focus on building your presence. Once you have a strong network, you can use the paid options as a way to increase your network and individual reach.
At this point, becoming more comfortable with your social media platform will help fine tune your strategy and make you more likely to increase your budget in the future. To begin, investing a small amount of time and money can significantly increase your conversion rates and eventually get return on investment.
3. Customer Satisfaction
Social media gives a business owner knowledge about what their customers are saying online and will be critical to success. For instance, when consumers see your business posting on social media, it makes you appear more credible and trustworthy.
One of the most important things to consider is regularly interacting with customers in a timely manner. For example, being able to address their concerns publicly will show the community that your business is professional and willing to interact online. This process works for both the positive and negative comments.
Having customers mention your business on social media will further market your business, show your value, and brand authority. In essence, positive comments from satisfied customers speak volumes to potential customers.
4. Humanize your Brand
Generally, people want to conduct business with or buy products from brands they know, like, and trust. They want a real person that they can relate to in everyday life. Therefore, sharing photos of your own family, employees, funny memes, or asking questions make businesses feel more approachable and real.
Choosing the best social media platform for YOU
If you want to succeed with expanding your business on social media the key is to choose the platform that’s the best fit for you. To begin, testing out the platforms to see if your customer base is there, whether or not they’re interacting with certain businesses, and if the platform fits the heart of your business.
For instance, if you seek to appeal mainly to millennial women, Instagram should be the first on your list. Then again, if you’re a business-to-business (B2B) brand, you’re going to find more success on LinkedIn, which appeals primarily to professionals and brands looking to connect with other professionals.
Ultimately, you have to decide what platform(s) fit your business and make it work for your needs. That is where Barhop Design can help. Contact us today!
FEELING OVERWHELMED? START HERE…
• Audience: First, think about who you are trying to reach, this will help you begin to narrow down which platform(s) to use.
• Understand what your business goal is: Are you trying to reach more people? Drive ecommerce traffic? Target younger generations? Decide on your goals and leverage social media to accomplish them.
• Make a plan (Social Media Strategy): Creating, scheduling, and managing social content requires a plan. Focusing on goals and building out a strategy will help you start small and gradually increase your success on social media.
• Have a good time! Get out there and explore new things. Social media is meant to be exciting, so be creative and express yourself!