What began as an entertainment tool, has evolved into a powerful marketing tool. Social media presence is an essential component to marketing strategies for businesses, today. Currently, there are 3.78 billion daily active social media users - this equates to about 48% of the current world population. That is a big juicy number and as a business owner, I would call you crazy to turn down the opportunity to capture a fraction of it.
If you’re not already convinced, here are five reasons why your business needs a social media presence:
Search Engine Visibility
Keywords on your social media pages work similarly to SEO on your website, and this is what helps you dominate that first search result page in an organic way. Nowadays, if millennials are searching for a service in their area, they’ll skip google altogether and search directly on social media. In-fact, 54% of all social browsers use social media to research products… that’s a small audience of 1.89 billion people… you’re going to try and tell me that’s an audience you don’t want to tap into!?
PRO TIP: Instagram recently updated their search feature to push business profiles who have optimized their Instagram bios. What does that mean? You need to focus on those key words in your bio - and you only get limited characters to do so… choose wisely!
Word of Mouth
This is one of my favourite ways to describe social media marketing. Social media is essentially an amplified version of word of mouth marketing, so give your people something to talk about! Whether you are new to the industry, or have been at the top for years, a positive word of mouth will always help you gain leads and drive sales. Use social media as an opportunity to narrate your brand and capture your customers’ interest simultaneously.
Trust Building
The hard truth: markets are saturated and people have options.
Customers are increasingly savvier and fastidious about which businesses they support. Before making a decision, they’ll do a background check of your socials and website. You can imagine how critical a robust social presence is in this scenario. Certified millennial here… if your business doesn’t have social, I’m not buying. Key takeaway is to make a good first impression: Demonstrate thought leadership, connect with your audience, be clear on your business’ values and provide FAQ’s.
Competitive Advantage
My favourite part of building a social strategy for a client is evaluating their competition. Nine times out of ten, we’re starting at the bottom of the pack (so it’s a good thing they’ve hired me). Neglecting to provide a strong social media presence to your customer will derive you of all its benefits, and automatically pass those leads to your competitor. So I challenge you to have a look at what your competitors are doing… and then give me a call.
Sales and Business Leads
This is a client favourite.
We live in an era of targeted ads, and social media engagement is a vital opportunity to target and retarget your audience, and people who look like your audience. Want to learn more about how this works? Let’s chat!
There you have it! Five reasons why your business needs social media. Everything said, be sure to approach social media with a proper strategy in mind. For more information on my social media strategy packages, go here, or send me an email!