5 Reasons Why Your Business Should Use Social Media
Using social media can be an extremely powerful tool for your business. Many business owners feel that they need to be involved in the social media phenomenon, but are unsure of the benefits it can have. We have highlighted the 5 top reasons why your business should be using social media and also a blog.
1. Visibility
Participating in social media and blogs allows you to stay connected with your audience and reinforces your brand. By following a social media strategy where you are constantly updating your accounts and blogging on a regular basis, will allow you to stay in the forefront of your clients minds. The constant engagement opens up a unique relationship with your customer where they feel involved in the day to day life of your business and can strengthen the personal connection. The content of your blogs and tweets is important, but the rule of thumb is to keep it simple, engaging and to make sure you connect with your client.
2. Client Conversion
Studies have shown compelling statistics to prove that using social media can be beneficial for your business. 35% of consumers want to look at businesses Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn account before making a purchase. An alarming 70% of customers said they would not buy a product if a business did not have a social media profile of some kind. 77% of consumers said they interact with brands on Facebook through reading posts and updates. 56% of consumers said they are more likely to recommend a brand to a friend after becoming a fan of Facebook. 57% of consumers 'like' a brand because they are already an existing customer or because they want to receive discounts or promotions. A lot of stats here, but it has been proven that a consumer is more likely to make a purchase via social media rather than going through a long sales pitch.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
It has been proven that having a social media presence can increase your search engine rankings. However, you must be frequently updating your social media accounts and interacting regularly with your customers. Essentially you will be directing traffic back to your website which will in turn help with your rankings. Using social media sites to get reviews on your product can also be an effective way to help your search engine rankings. Sites such as Trip Advisor can be extremely effective for businesses in the travel and hospitality industry.
4. To Run a Promotion or Contest
There is value in having a 'like' or a follower. The latest studies show that for each new like acquired on Facebook is worth 20 additional visits to your website over the course of a year. One simple and effective way to build your likes and followers is to run promotions and contests through social media. Custom Fit Online recently run an extremely successful Facebook contest for Tourism Pemberton. Just over 1500 new likes were created during the period of the contest. Contests engage clients, are simple and a cost effective way to build your 'fan' base and ultimately send more traffic to your website.
5. It's Free!
Using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google + and LinkedIn are free. Why wouldn't you use this source of marketing to promote your business and connect with your customers? There isn't a reason - you should! But one word of caution, you must invest time into your social media strategy. Social media must be social! You should be updating your social media accounts 4 or more times a day and responding to your customers. A blog should be updated 3 or more times a week. You must be ready to commit the time, energy and passion to writing for your social media campaign to be successful.
From the Custom Fit Online team