The long and short of it is, yes. Social media can take your business to the next level. Even if you aren’t active on social media personally, it can make a big difference for your business. I have outlined the top five reasons you should start to care about social media to build business.
Social Media Builds Community
One of the most powerful things about social media is the ability to create community. With social media, your business page can create a space where like-minded individuals can come together and interact with each other. Often, these interactions can reach a large audience if the topic resonates - this gives you a larger population of people to connect with. It also helps you get an idea of what topics capture your audience's attention. Additionally, once a business builds trust within the community it can put new ideas out there to get an early pulse on the likelihood of success.
Quality Content Builds Credibility
As a business begins to put out thoughtful and high-quality content (posts, links, pictures, etc) it becomes a go-to authority. This is so powerful for a brand and can’t be understated. In today’s world, people are more skeptical of traditional marketing than ever. Building credibility is crucial to get your message across. Building content online that establishes you as an expert in your field means you don’t have to shout at your consumer. Instead, they come to you as the source of truth and hopefully start sharing with their friends or followers.
Earned Media
Building brand presence takes a long time and a lot of money. Coca-Cola has invested millions upon millions of dollars on marketing and still didn’t become a household name overnight. Most businesses don’t have tons of money to get their brand out there. The concept of earned media goes hand in hand with high-quality content. The better the content, the more likely it is to be shared, thereby “earning” your business views, likes, follows, and shares. These impressions are often more valuable than traditional ads. You are giving the customer something vs. asking them for something. Also, unlike traditional paid advertising your competitors will have a much harder time breaking in once you “earn” the space.
Low-Cost Lead Generation
Once a business has created a community and begun gaining credibility through high-quality content it can then ask something of its customers. At this stage, businesses can begin taking a more direct approach to marketing its products and services. However, it will be important to continue a careful balance of giving customers quality content before asking them to buy a product or service.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
One of the beauties of social media is the ability to respond to customers in real-time. If a customer has a problem, it can be addressed (sometimes publicly) and often solved right on the social channel. The customer isn’t left waiting for a response and other customers who might have the same issue get their problem solved as well. Being a highly responsive and thoughtful business around customer service will lead to overall higher customer satisfaction.
Building your social channels is a powerful way to grow your business, connect with a new audience, and build community. If this article makes sense to you, start by exploring some brands that are getting it right. TRUX, Converse, Coca-Cola are all companies that work on building their brand and social presence.
