By Lauren Fenthum <--- To view/save this infographic please
CLICK HERE The ongoing demand for customers online confirms that the reality of social media is not just a trend. Social media has made its place known, and it is here to stay, for good. Being present on social media is an indispensable form of marketing and should not be ignored so it is essential for businesses to have a good social media strategy in place. Having a social media strategies provides many benefits to your business as it increases exposure, generates leads and improves your online search ranking.
- It allows you to target your audience more effectively. Knowing your audience is key for any business to grow more effectively. By using social media you are specifically targeting your intended audience, you are also able to analyze your audience’s movements, interactions and behaviours.
- Expands your target audience and attracts new clients. Your social media strategy should include which platforms you intend to use, this will allow the consumer to like, comment or share your page, generating free advertising and creating exposure for your business. This is specifically ideal for lead generation, more so when used to educate or inspire your target audiences.
- Allows instantaneous feedback from customers. Social media platforms allow immediate feedback from consumers, this feedback can be both positive and negative, and lets you know how the customer feels about your business and its services. This is a way for consumers to directly communicate with your business and eliminates the tedious task of calling your customers to determine their levels of satisfaction.
- Increases website traffic, search ranking and generating leads. The more likes, shares and comments your page receives, the more your search ranking ability increases. Creating blogs and linking business activities to your social media accounts increases your business's visibility. Being active on your social media accounts ensures that leads are generated. However, make sure that the content you are uploading is relevant and interesting to your audience.
- A good social media strategy can be cost-effective. Creating brand awareness on a limited budget can be challenging. Social media is a great way to get your brands name out there, with little to no costs compared to traditional advertising. Social media advertising allows businesses to maximize their investments without breaking the bank. Ultimately this could lead to the potential growth of your business.
- Develops customer service relations and loyalty. This is a direct interaction between your brand and your customers. Because of the instant back and forth communication, trust is built and your business starts to develop a loyal fan base. By doing this, loyal customers are more likely to advocate your brand and increase sales through word of mouth. This also adds to the value of your business by increasing validity.
- Builds brand exposure and awareness. By using social media you have access to millions of potential customers, social media gets your business active visually and engagingly.
Whilst social media, may not directly generate a massive increase in sales, it does promote awareness to your brand profile. The main purpose of this platform is to build brand engagement and customer relations at a low cost. Social media should be done as an integrated part of your overall business digital marketing strategy.
