Social media is good for business

Why would your business want to use social media?

Good question. With platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram you can generate massive online exposure for your brand, allowing you to showcase your products and services quickly and cost-effectively.

Social media helps you tune-in to what people are saying, including your customers, prospects, peers and competitors.

You can generate leads through all the major social networking sites (Twitter is very effectual for this, particularly in B2B). This will help you to attract more customers, who you can bedazzle by providing a personal touch, building relationships and driving loyalty.

All of this can be accomplished for a low cost without abandoning quality.

1. You can get more online exposure through social media.

Of course, as a business owner, you want your business to get more exposure and therefore become more visible to your target audience. The good news is that it is more doable now because of social media.

Remember, more people are spending long hours on social networking sites these days. Meaning to say, there is this bigger opportunity for you to let them found you online and therefore promote your business.

You have to make the most of it since according to research, social media actually consume people’s time online.

2. You can showcase your brand.

Branding is another crucial factor in any business. Good branding will help you build a better reputation which, eventually, will make people trust you. Many business owners these days already know about this that’s why they also use social media for brand awareness. In truth, 71% of business owners admitted using social media for that purpose.

3. Through social media, you can hear what people say.

Social listening is what it is called, a process where you “listen” to people’s thoughts and insights through social media. Apart from simply knowing what people think about and feel, most especially about your brand, you also have to monitor mentions.

Here, you have to be very observant. You also have to be open-minded, too, because you cannot expect 100% positive thoughts and even comments from people. But of course, no matter how negative some things are, they can still help you improve your business.

4. You can generate leads through the help of social networking sites.

After social listening, you can already proceed to the next step—lead generation. It is already one of the most important benefits of social media. It is also a manifestation that indeed, social networking sites can help you generate targeted leads in your business which will ultimately result in more sales.

Facebook is one of the leading social networking sites when it comes to the generation of leads. In fact, there is already 77% of B2C companies who admitted to generating leads through Facebook.

5. Social media attracts more customers.

What’s really cool about social media is that it can really help you gain new customers. Since it has wide coverage, social media has the capability to influence people and satisfy them that certain products and services are worth buying.

Facebook is one great example. Still known as the leading social networking site in the world today, Facebook has made selling even better because of its influence. In 2013 alone, there was already 23% of marketers who actually gained more clients through the use of this social networking site.

6. Social media allows you to contact your prospective customers with a personal touch.

Everybody is online now, irrespective of age. That is why, if you are a business owner who will use social media for business, it is worth noting that there are already different kinds of people there. In fact, even people who are over 65 years old still use social media.

Each of them has a different set of needs, too. So, when you talk to these people, you should not just address them as one. What you should do instead is address them individually. Address each of them with a personal touch and understand their concerns individually.

7. You can build relationships with potential customers.

People are getting fonder and fonder of social media each day. In fact, they access their accounts on social networking sites almost everywhere. Meaning to say, these sites are not just used at home; they are used in their respective offices, too. People even use these platforms to learn work-related things.

Consequently, people now have been spending more time on social media. And since people are spending more time on these platforms, it is no longer difficult to build a strong relationship with them.

8. You can fortify positive behaviour and loyalty through rewards.

When you already have a strong relationship with people online, the next thing to do is reward them to inspire them to continue their positive behaviours. This way, you can make them feel that you really do appreciate what they are doing. Also, if you are clever enough to come up with a good program, you can actually take advantage of the situation and benefit directly through it.

Among the things you can offer your avid followers are special promotions and discounts. Let them feel that because of their support for your brand, they deserve these hot offers others cannot just get.

9. Rank higher.

Social media signals have an impact on SEO. Meaning to say, the more active you get on social networking sites, the more searchable you become.

For example, you post something on your website and because it’s really cool and people like it a lot, they share it many times using their social media accounts. The good news is that this content of yours will actually help you rank higher because they prove to be good content. It is a form of link-building, which is also another important thing in SEO.

10. Minimise cost without sacrificing quality.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money just to have your brand promoted. And the thing is, you yourself can do it while at the comfort of your own home or office. What’s more, you can make use of creativity to come up with a program to promote your business.

Remember, today’s influencers do not just include personalities on mainstream media. Lots of people now decide based on what they see on social networking sites, too. Even more, their decisions are usually affected by the thoughts and opinions of their family and friends who are so into social media.

No wonder, social media marketing is now being used by different businesses. Social media is powerful and at the same time, very affordable. Social media really is very effective in many ways. Business owners should be able to maximise their power and take it to their advantage for their respective brands.

Social media is indeed very effective in many ways. Business owners should be able to maximise their power and take it to their advantage for their respective brands.