For businesses just starting out or working to grow sales, social media can be a powerful tool that can improve relationships with customers, expand your reach and brand awareness, and help develop your company overall. Here’s how:
By Building Relationships with Customers
A majority of American adults on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat said they visit those social media sites at least once a day, according to a Pew Research Center poll taken this year. Social media gives businesses an opportunity to reach customers and potential customers where they are—online—at least once, sometimes multiple times, a day.
This means you can access your customers’ more easily. By developing your business’ social media strategy through posting and sharing content, responding to private or direct messages and comments, and interacting with your followers’ content, you’re positioning your company at the forefront of their minds.
When you invest in a strong social media presence you can build and strengthen relationships with people, which creates customer loyalty and can bring customers back again and again.
By Expanding Your Brand’s Reach
Traditional advertising and marketing was previously accomplished through print ads, billboards or other media spots, such as television. However, social media is quickly outpacing these other marketing avenues for businesses’ advertising dollars. So much so that Facebook’s ad revenue is projected to hit more than $21 billion this year, according to eMarketer.
Platforms that are as large as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram provide businesses access to millions of potential customers. Not only that, social media can also often be more cost-effective.
Many social media sites provide targeted advertising options for a fraction of the cost of traditional print or TV ads. This report from Marketing Charts, an online hub for marketing data, provides a breakdown of the cost differences between a variety of media types. This gives you the opportunity to do more social media advertising, because you’re spending less, or to allocate those extra funds somewhere else into your company’s marketing plan.
By Developing Your Company’s Digital Presence
Overall, an effective social media strategy can give credibility to your company by showcasing your products or services and demonstrating your company’s ability to provide exceptional customer service. Think of your social media profile as your company’s resume.
Social media gives you a platform to show off your best work and highlight the personality of your company and your employees, ultimately making your company more accessible to people.
When it comes to marketing a business today, social media provides a variety of opportunities that can help increase your sales. If you’re looking to develop your company’s social media strategy and grow your business, contact us today.