3 Great Reasons Why Businesses Need Social Media
Social media has significantly changed the way businesses do business. The telephone opened up new opportunities, but not the way social media has. Each day, we’re learning new ways to incorporate social media into our lives, whether it’s reading the latest news, connecting with colleagues, sharing photos with friends, shopping for new products and more. It only makes sense that businesses are active on social media.
As popular as social media is, it can also feel overwhelming, especially for smaller businesses with limited budgets. It takes time to find a niche audience, and it’s more about quality than quantity. With patience and diligence in mind, let’s take a look at three great reasons why businesses of all sizes need social media.
1. Social media is more cost-effective than traditional marketing.
Traditional marketing requires a decent sized budget. Whether it’s printing brochures, mailing out catalogs, placing phone calls or posting a billboard ad, these marketing tactics are big investments. And, it’s not always easy to measure the impact you have. This makes it more difficult to make strategic decisions in the future.
Social media is actually quite reasonable. Sure, you can end up spending a lot of money, but you don’t have to. If you do decide to spend a lot on a particular campaign, it will go to the right audience because everything is measurable. Better yet, you may make adjustments while running campaigns. So, if you’re not getting the results you had hoped for, you can tweak the message, add in an offer or change your demographic.
How much does social media marketing cost? It depends on the social channel you’re using and the type of ad you’re running. With so many flexible advertising options, plus the ability to grow organic traffic for free, you can reach out to tens of thousands of customers for under $100.
2. Social media grows your brand presence.
Advertising on social media does cost money, but you can grow your brand presence for free. It costs nothing to create a profile, add photos, update business information, engage with followers and more. You can essentially run an entire channel with thousands of followers without putting in a dime.
The more you engage with followers, the more traffic will come to your page. This gets people familiar with your brand and products. More traffic will visit your website and interact with you on other social channels, too. This is the “word of mouth” of today. You can also develop more meaningful relationships with customers by running contests and sharing exclusive coupon codes.
3. Social media allows for quick, efficient communication.
Consumers are impatient these days, so the quicker you can respond to their question or concern, the more likely you are to capture the sale. If you’re not there, it’s likely that the customer won’t convert.
Fortunately, social media allows for 24/7 communication, and you don’t have to leave your business open or pay customer service reps to answer the phones. You can be alerted when new messages come through, addressing customer concerns right away so that you keep customers in the funnel. Social media is also an excellent channel for sharing company updates, product information and more.
These are just a few of the reasons why businesses need social media. Even though it’s loud and competitive, you have an audience that is waiting to hear from you! Let’s find and reach them with the right marketing approach. Call WSI Star Web Solutions today!