Why Your Small Business Needs Social Media
Social media use has evolved beyond just photo and video-sharing. Today, it is a powerful tool that businesses can leverage to connect with their target audience, build relationships, and drive sales. One of the key advantages of social media marketing is that it allows businesses to communicate with users based on similarities and specific niches. Building an audience and reaching those users requires some work and consistency. Here are some of the top reasons why your business needs social media.
Social Media Management
Social media has become an essential part of the modern business landscape, and for good reason. Social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest allow instant interaction between a business and their customer. This ability to share information and market the company in live time is genuinely a golden opportunity. By identifying the interests and behaviors of a desired target audience, small businesses can create personalized content that resonates and drives engagement.
Social Media is necessary for 2023, and marketing overall is essential for any business because it helps you promote your brand, reach your target audience, and drive sales. Businesses not utilizing social media lack credibility, so garnering a better understanding of demographics through analytics is important. Here are some specific reasons why your small business needs marketing:
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Builds brand awareness
Social Media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn help create and develop brand awareness by getting your brand name out there. You can reach potential customers and make them aware of your brand through various social media marketing channels and advertising. Regularly posting on social media and engaging with your audience can build trust, expanding your following and reach.
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Drive sales
Effective marketing grows your business’s sales. You’re bound to attract new customers when you create compelling content and campaigns. You will also retain existing ones and encourage them to stay loyal to your brand.
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Competitive advantage
Marketing can help your business stand out from your competitors. By showcasing your unique selling points and differentiating your brand, you can give potential customers a reason to choose you over competitors. It’s no secret people on social media will tell you how they feel and what products they want; listen!
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Customer engagement and relationships
Whether you are a B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumer) business, both help connect with your ideal client. You can foster a loyal customer base by creating engaging content, responding to customer feedback, and providing value to your audience.
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Business growth
Finally, marketing is essential for business growth. By consistently promoting your brand and driving sales, you also expand your customer base, which grows your business over time. You also establish trust and loyalty by engaging with followers regularly, leading to repeat business and referrals.
Who Has Time For Social Media?
You may be thinking, “I don’t have time to post,” or asking, “What’s the ROI (return on investment)?” Carving out one day a month to focus on marketing your business makes managing social media easier. Batch content creation is a sure way to produce content and schedule posts so you publish posts throughout the month without taking time out of each day. Scheduling platforms like Hootsuite, Later, Pallyy, or Meta Business Suite allow you to see peak traffic times to schedule posts, stories, and reels.
What’s my ROI? – Be patient. Traction takes time, and you must trust the process. Social media businesses have an average overall gain of 66.7%, better customer communication, and a 31.4% increase in sales. Trust yourself or your social media marketing agency’s expertise.
I don’t know what to post. – No problem! Post a good mix of static photos, carousels (swipe) posts, Reels, TikToks, YouTube, text-only content, and blogs. Each piece of content benefits your business if it’s engaging, clear, on brand, and contains valuable information and esthetics (more on this next month!). Your business demographics significantly affect finding what content (and platforms) work best.
Ways To Use Social Media To Reach Followers
There are so many ways to utilize social platforms. Each platform has tools to support users and brands, from bio links, scheduling tools, hashtags for greater reach, and a plethora of opportunities. An excellent way for you to reach more users is by Geotagging. Geotagging drives connectivity between target audiences based on location. It fosters online connections to offline consumer relations for physical products or in-person business locations.
Engagement is another big part of reaching followers. Engaging with your audience and other users builds trust and loyalty. This translates into repeat business and positive word-of-mouth marketing. Find people that follow companies related to your own, even your direct competitors. Start interacting with those individuals to build brand awareness and show your offerings.
Content Creators And Influencers
Have you ever heard of the term “sliding into the DM’s (Direct Messages)”? Well, there is no better time for consumers to have access to speak with their favorite businesses and brands by simply messaging them directly. This form of communication directly links consumers and brands, making it a profitable space if you sell physical or digital products. That is where an influencer can come in. A social media influencer is someone with a reputation for their expertise or lifestyle. Social media has carved the way for influencers and creators to work directly with brands to monetize their partnerships by sharing products and services with their exclusive group of followers.
These content creators generate UGC (user-generated content) or specific agreed-upon deliverables to highlight a specific product or feature of a particular brand. Some work for free, but most strategize with brands to bring in a side hustle or full-time income. Creator marketing works for some brands but not all; it depends on what your brand sells. If your business isn’t utilizing social media, or if you’re a business that sells a physical product, take advantage of creator (influencer) marketing as a way to connect directly to new customers.
How do I find creators to work with? – This is a question that many brands have. Here’s our answer – if you don’t have the time or expertise to find and connect with influencers, hire a Social Media Manager or Digital Marketing Agency to help. Outsourcing your social media management will significantly benefit you because these individuals are the experts, and they will find the best influencers for your brand. They will also develop and implement proven strategies, create content, schedule posts, engage with your audience, and track your analytical performance.
Collaboration, Team Work Makes The Dream Work
Having a presence on social media marketing validates businesses in 2023. Social Media allows businesses to connect with their target audience, build relationships, and drive sales. By leveraging the power of social media, businesses can achieve significant growth and success in the digital age.
Social media marketing is a cost-effective way to promote your business. You don’t have to spend much on paid advertising and can share content for free to reach your target audience organically, which is a big bonus. If you can’t find the time to maintain an active social media presence for your business, consider contacting a digital marketing agency. At Express My Media, we support many small businesses throughout the Charlotte, NC, market and beyond. Book a free initial call to see if we’re the right fit for your brand!
Express My Media’s past blogs:
How to organize your business in 2023
3 tips for building a successful small business through digital marketing
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