I don’t think you understand just how crucial social media is for businesses (especially startups). Do it right, and you might even catch up with the industry giants you look up to.
Believe it or not, social media is currently the determining factor that sets apart successful million-dollar businesses from the average “struggling” businesses. However, it’s not too late for you to catch up.
There are currently over 3 billion people across all social media platforms (that’s almost half of the world’s population). The average social media user spends at least 2 hours a day browsing through multiple social media feeds.
People spend more time on social media platforms.
Now tell me, is there any other marketing effort that can be as impactful as social media marketing? In addition to that, social media marketing is cost-effective (even free if you have the time and dedication).
We have more interesting stats!
Did you know that at least 43% of people who use the internet also use social media to research things to buy?
Why is social media so important for businesses?
Go through the benefits of social media for businesses and how you can use social media marketing to “hack” your way to business success.
1. Social media gives life to businesses.
Before social media revolutionized the world, people used to view businesses as “emotionless” mechanical robots built to suck money from their pockets. The connection between customers and businesses was strenuous.
Startups and small businesses had a hard time entering markets because customers thought they were schemes set to “rob” them of their money.
Social media came and made it possible for businesses to present themselves as human beings. Even as a startup, you can now easily enter a market once you’ve learned how to present yourself appealingly before your audience.
Get your brand on social media. Share your values, interests, and allow your business to build close relationships with people. Then, watch as like-minded people gather around you.
Do it well, and you might even build a community around your brand. A place your clients can call home and be comfortable enough to invite others to join.
They say that the most advanced form of marketing is when you get your clients to put in the word and market your brand for you. Social media has made that goal attainable for all businesses.
2. Social media makes it easy to build brand authority.
The more you interact with customers and potential customers on social media, the more you stand out from the crowd. Social media has made it possiible for businesses to establish themselves as thought leaders in their markets.
How can you establish your business as a thought leader using social media?
It’s simple. Transform your social media page into a one-stop place for information related to your market niche.
You can start by posting interesting and educating blog posts, videos, and images. The more you post, the more people start believing that you know what you’re talking about.
The simple process of sharing your views and ideas with the world will not only establish you as an authoritative voice in your niche, but it will also help with building customer trust.
Did you know that 53% of people who follow business social media handles are more likely to remain loyal to those specific businesses?
3. Helps businesses stay up-to-date with market changes and trends.
Social media has a lot of information in one place compared to other mass communication means like television broadcasts. You’ll never be left behind.
Business owners can also use social media to get market awareness.
Thanks to the one-on-one connection that social media offers, businesses are now able to listen to customer complaints, satisfaction levels, and be able to spot and take advantage of need gaps to make more profit.
Being on social media will put you way ahead of your competitors.
4. Social media is a cost-effective marketing solution.
Social media marketing is one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) marketing campaigns out there. Think of this, signing up for a social media account is free across all the major social media platforms.
Sure, as you start, paid social media ads are actually a good idea to get the wheels turning. However, the cost is significantly lower compared to other marketing and advertising campaigns.
Time, dedication, consistency, and a little bit of creativity are all you need to get started on building a social media presence for your brand.
5. Social media helps in building website traffic.
Social media offers businesses one of the quickest ways they can boost website traffic. Sure, organic traffic is good, but it needs to be nurtured over time. Social media can have people crowding your website in a matter of days.
The best way you can do this is by sharing your website links on your social media handle. Many business make the mistake of sharing links on posts that are too promotional and salesy, thus putting off their audiences.
Instead, share sneak peeks of your most interesting blog posts and videos on your social media handle, and link them back to the full content on your website. Remember, you are aiming at building traffic and not making conversions (you’ll do that after building trust with your visitors).
Besides traffic, you can also use social media to boost your website’s SEO ranking. Social media impressions are also taken into account by Google’s ranking algorithms.
The more your share your website links on social media, the more likely people are going to click on them- This further proves to Google that your website information is relevant and useful to search engine users.
6. It supports eCommerce and boosts sales.
We’ve seen it on Facebook, businesses can now embed sales portals into their pages. Very soon, social media platforms will evolve into online business stores where customers can make purchases without leaving the platform.
Currently, businesses are using social media to influence their audiences’ purchasing decisions. Push the right buttons, and you’ll be able to convenience your visitors to make purchases right from your business’s social media page.
7. Social media enables targeted marketing.
Social media marketing has a “sniper” approach that remains unmatched by all other marketing campaigns.
Social media platforms have made it possible for businesses to market themselves before specific audiences. Businesses can now choose their audiences according to age, gender, location, and even interests.
Businesses no longer have to waste time and money advertising before audiences that aren’t interested in the products and services they have to offer.
Do you have any idea how effective that is? Startups no longer have to wonder in the dark looking for customers. You now immediately go to where your customers are and sell.
Conclusion
I hope you now understand why social media is so important for businesses. It came and completely revolutionized the relationship between businesses and customers.
What are you waiting for? Social media is still new and trendy. Start building your brand’s social media presence today!
