5 reasons why your business should be on social media
Social media – love it or hate it, you can’t avoid it!
In fact, We Are Social and Hootsuite’s Digital 2019 report found that in the past year social media use jumped almost 9% to nearly 3.5 billion people globally.
And in the UK, 67% of the population are active social media users; that’s a staggering 45 million people. So, the question is, can your business afford to avoid the social media marketing bandwagon?
As you’ll see from walking down high streets, sitting in coffee shops or in restaurants across the land, people are glued to their phones. And guess what, they’re not just swiping right on dating apps or taking selfies. They’re on social media. And it’s not just their friends they’re engaging with; it’s businesses.
Therefore, businesses of all sizes are turning to social media marketing to raise brand awareness, promote their products and engage with their audiences.
So, let’s take a look at 5 reasons why your business should be on social media.
#1 Increase brand awareness
Social media marketing is great for increasing brand awareness and for many brands that is their main aim on social. According to Sprout’s 2018 Social Index, 80% of social marketers said that increasing brand awareness was their primary goal on social media.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the value of social media isn’t necessarily in attributed conversions, it’s about awareness.
You could see social media as somewhat of a long play. Over time people can become more familiar with your brand, engage with your content and, when the time comes where they need to purchase a product that you offer, they’re more likely to go to you.
#2 Connect with your customers
Customers are vital to your business. After all, without customers you don’t have a business.
Social media is a fantastic way to engage with your audience and, in doing so, humanise your brand. Can you remember the first time a brand engaged with you on social media? I can, and to be honest, it was strangely exciting. Even now when I see that brand I do feel more inclined to spend my money there. Thanks Byron Burger!
Done correctly, social media can be an effective way of building strong, long-lasting relationships with your customers, aiding brand loyalty and increasing purchases overtime.
#3 Increase website traffic
With 3.5 billion people on social media, you’d be silly not to use social media to increase traffic to your website.
Social media is a great place to share links to interesting content on your website, whether that be blogs, company news or product information.
Bear in mind that just because you have a website, it doesn’t mean anyone’s going to see it! You need to tell people about it and social media is a great place to do so.
The beauty of social media is it allows you to explore both organic and paid ways of driving traffic to your website.
#4 Learn more about your audience
Social media can provide a wide range of insights into your customers wants and needs as well as those of a wider audience. Done correctly, this can help to inform business decisions.
Any marketeer wants insights into their audience and, with social media, you’ll have plenty to explore. From age, to gender, to location, you can use these insights to craft messaging that resonates with your audience. It’s also handy if you’re planning on putting together some customer personas.
Through careful analysis of your posts, you can see what content is working at what time, with what particular demographic.
#5 Keep your customers informed
Customers like to be kept informed. If there are interruptions in service or closures, they want to know about it, and quickly. Social media is great for this. As it is for letting customers know about new products or offers in real time.
More and more customers are turning to social media sites to engage with brands, both positively and negatively, and they expect brands to be on social media. You’d be surprised how many people check a company’s social media channels for updates as opposed to their website.
Through good, clear communication on social media, businesses can also manage customer expectations and keep their customers informed and content.
Are you ready to get social?
So, there’s 5 reasons why your business should be on social media and there’s plenty more too. Get involved and let us know what you love about social media in the comments section, below.
And, if you’re ready to get social, CMA are ready to help. Get in touch with us to see how we can bring your brand to life on social media.