It’s official, social media has taken over our lives! With major platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat competing for our attention, the general focus has shifted to digital.
The rise of social media has unlocked a world of opportunities online, especially for marketers. Social media editor, online content creator and digital strategist are a few of the job titles that now exist, thanks to the rise of digital marketing. Companies have a unique opportunity to connect with their audience – and many have already embraced the challenge.
Everyone’s doing it so it’s worth testing out for your brand. If you’re still unsure why you should invest in social media for your company, consider the following factors:
You Can Reach a Larger Audience
More than 3 billion people are now using the internet, according to the United Nations agency that oversees internal communications. Social media usage has skyrocketed in the past few years. In the U.S., 78% of Americans were found to use at least one social networking site.
With such a huge population online (consuming news, keeping up with family, shopping etc.), you can connect with more people and expand their audience. This will in turn attract more people to your website.
More web traffic means greater lead generation. Every new follower is a potential customer, so growing your online presence not only increases your visibility, but also improves your conversion rates. Social media marketing has a huge potential to increase sales – which will ultimately allow your business to thrive.
You Can Rank Higher On Search Engines
It’s every company’s dream to be the first link that appears organically on Google search. Studies show that consumers are more likely to skip banner ads and click on organic websites for their purchases. Social media can help you achieve that goal! If you consistently connect with a bigger audience, share content your customers care about and interact with other websites, your web traffic increases and this leads to improved SEO. The more people visit your website, share your content and link to your website, Google will start to recognize you as an authority in your field and organically place you in search results.
You Can Get to Know Your Customers Better
As small business owners, your customers should be at the center of your decisions. With tools like Facebook Insights, Hootsuite Insights and Twitter Analytics, there’s a huge amount of real time data you can gather about your customers. You can find out who they are, where they live, what they like to do, how they spend their time and this can help you make smart business decisions that better serve them.
Furthermore, you can get direct feedback through polls and surveys. Just be sure to actively engage with your customers and you’ll collect unique insights that will refine your business strategy.
You Can Increase Customer Loyalty
In addition to helping you improve your products or services, listening and responding to your customers will make them feel valued and they will begin to develop a sense of loyalty. Consumers love to feel special and 73% of them reported that they’d be more likely to buy from a company that responds to them on social media. If you show them that you take their comments seriously, you will always be on top of mind when they have to make purchasing decisions. This will set you apart from the competitors as you’ll have built a unique relationship with your customers.
Still not convinced?
Social advertising revenue is predicted to reach $9.8 billion at the end of the year. It is a profitable business and not including it in your marketing strategy can limit sales and negatively impact your business growth. When done right, social media marketing can strengthen your relationship with your customers, drive traffic to your website and increase sales. There has never been a better time to create and maintain an authentic online presence for businesses!
Shelcy Joseph
About the Author
Shelcy Joseph is an Adler Social contributor. She’s a social media strategist, freelance blogger and the voice of A Millennial’s Guide to Life, a blog for the multi-passionate millennials who’d like to make a living pursuing the things they love.
Website: http://www.amillennialsguidetolife.com/
Twitter: @Seashell__
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelcyjoseph
