Did you know that 90% of marketers attribute their increased brand visibility and reach to a strong social media presence? Also, spending just six hours a week on social media can help 66% of marketers find new customers.
No matter what you sell or who you sell it to, having a good presence on social media is important for your business. These days, the internet makes markets crowded and competitive. But with social media, you can reach lots of customers.
If you’re not using social media in your marketing plan, you’re missing out on reaching new customers and lots of chances to grow your business. It’s like spending money on local ads and then wondering why your competitors are getting noticed everywhere.
But why is social media so important for businesses? What makes it a must for every business, no matter how big or small? Here’s why your small business should start using social media for marketing:
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Social media is where your leads are
Modern marketing is all about finding new leads to feed the business pipeline. These leads, once captured, can be converted into paying customers. Leads are essentially prospects; future customers that will help carry your business to the next level. But to convert leads and increase your conversion rate, you have to find them first. This is where social media comes in.
Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X are ripe with leads, a.k.a. potential customers. Regardless of your industry, social media networks are where most of your leads can be found. It is here that you will be able to attract leads, pique their interest with engaging and relevant content, and convert them into sustainable customers/clients.
According to Statista, of the entire population of the US alone, around 70% have at least one social media account. By 2021, experts believe the number of social media users worldwide will grow to around 3.1 billion. Think about that for a minute. That is a huge market.
Obviously, not all of them might be interested in whatever you’re selling, but the majority of your target audience is surely in that huge group. You just have to find them, connect with them, and turn them into followers.
- Social media can help increase awareness of your brand
Another excellent reason for marketing through social media is brand awareness, a.k.a. brand recognition. Social media marketing is the new SEO. With proper utilization, it can help businesses gain visibility and therefore increase recognition for their brand. The key here is to use the platform wisely and responsibly.
Your social media profiles/accounts are the face of your brand. They are a gateway for your target audience to reach you and vice versa. By posting engaging and quality content, you are allowing your target audience to get to know your brand on a more personal level.
Before you know it, your followers will organically grow and they will become your brand ambassadors, representing your business by sharing your content and their own experiences with your products and/or services. This is how you find more leads and build up your pool of prospects.
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The varied social media channels allow you to target specific audiences
In today’s world, a one-size-fits-all marketing approach isn’t as effective as it used to be. Social media has changed the game, allowing you to target your marketing efforts more precisely. Each social media platform attracts different kinds of people, so by being active on the right ones, you can reach specific audiences that traditional methods might miss.
With social media marketing, you can tailor your messages to specific groups based on where your brand is most active online. Instead of broadcasting to everyone, you can focus on reaching the people who are most likely to be interested in what you offer. This could be a certain age group, location, profession, or even hobbies and interests.
To make the most of this, you can create a detailed list of your target audience, including factors like age, gender, location, profession, and interests. The more specific you can be, the better. This helps you figure out which social media channels to focus on and how to connect with your audience more effectively.
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Social media users are more receptive to the messages you’re trying to dish out
People who use social media are often open to certain messages and marketing efforts. Social media is a place for fun and connection with friends, family, and what’s happening in the world. It’s where people go to share their lives, interests, and experiences.
However, users don’t usually want to see a lot of ads in their feeds. But if they see a post from your business that’s helpful and relevant to them, they might become interested in what you offer.
That’s why it’s important to create content that resonates with your audience and adds value to their social media experience. Whether it’s sharing helpful tips, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business, or engaging stories, providing content that your audience enjoys will help you build a strong social media presence and connect with potential customers.
Even though social media is for connecting, many users also follow brands they like. These users, often called social influencers, can help spread the word about your business. By building relationships with influencers in your industry, you can reach new audiences and gain credibility with potential customers.
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Social media marketing can help boost your inbound traffic
Your social media profiles are like doors to your website. If you use them well, they can bring more people to your site and make it easier for others to find you on search engines like Google.
When you share stuff on social media, it’s like putting up signs that say “Come check out my website!” Even if people don’t buy anything right away, it still helps your website show up better in search results over time.
And here’s the best part: using social media doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You can reach a lot of people without spending much on ads. Just keep sharing interesting stuff that people will want to see and share with their friends. This will help you grow your business and get more people interested in what you do.
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Marketing through social media is a cost-effective solution
That’s why many small businesses and startups use social media to promote what they offer.
Social media marketing doesn’t need a lot of money upfront. Instead, it needs your time. You have to set up your social media profiles, make interesting posts, and talk with your followers.
But don’t worry about spending too much time on it. There are tools and software that can help you schedule posts and answer common questions automatically. You don’t have to reply to every single message from your followers.
Some businesses hire outside agencies that know a lot about social media marketing. It might cost some money, but it’s usually cheaper than other kinds of marketing. Right now, social media is one of the best ways for businesses to get noticed without spending a lot of money.
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Social media marketing can help boost your search engine rankings
Even though we’ve talked about social media helping to bring more people to your website, it’s also important to mention how this affects your search engine rankings. If you’re reading this, you’re probably already working on improving your SEO strategy. Well, now you can use social media to make that strategy even stronger.
Did you know that Google looks at how active you are on social media when it decides where to rank your website? Websites that use social media a lot tend to show up higher in search results.
So, when people click on links from your social media profiles to your website, Google sees that your content is important. This can make your website show up higher in search results when people look for things related to your business.
Using social media like this can help your website get noticed more without having to spend a lot of money on fancy tools or experts. And if you’re already spending money on those things, using social media can make your efforts even more effective.
Conclusion
To sum up, having a strong presence on social media is super important for small businesses.
It’s where most people check out products and talk to brands. Being active there helps businesses get noticed and trusted. Sharing cool stuff and chatting with followers makes businesses stand out.
And the best part?
It’s cheap compared to other ways of advertising. With a good social media plan, small businesses can get more customers and grow. So, if you run a small business, cultivating a strong social media presence is a strategic step toward attracting more customers and ensuring the success of your business.