Marketing and advertising has changed significantly since the beginning of the internet and tech mobility which has dramatically increased capability for small and medium businesses. Mobile and internet together have incited a new era in effective communication strategies and engagement. A website called “Thinking.com” reports a total of 6,915 million mobile subscriptions globally, so it’s no surprise that every social media platform today are mobile responsive so they can attract a larger range of customers. For any business aiming to reach their maximum targeted customer, social media is the way to go. It provides great opportunities to reach and expand your active audience while engaging with the right potential customers. Social media is one part Media and one part Social.
Media is an instrument of communication whether it be reading a newspaper, or listening to the radio. It’s getting information out there into the universe. Humans are social in nature.
Social media is a social instrument of communication, a social platform will not just provide you with information; it will let you interact with it and you will be able to comment, give your thoughts on whatever subject is at hand. You will be able to share this information with others as well. It’s like this; the media is a one way street. You have newspaper, radio and TV. These channels allows very limited ability to share your thoughts. On the other hand social media lets you actively interact and communicate on a variety of channels (Social Media Platforms) and also share your thoughts with others. The more you communicate on social media the more your business will grow because you are no longer limited to just the community are in but the now you are able to connect and sell your products or services to people all over the globe.
The social media presence of today is not only a responsibility to your business but it is a necessity which will provide benefits you cannot ignore. Here are some of the benefits.
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IMPROVES EXPOSURE– Increases sales for any business and provides maximum exposure (Marketing) to the community. A consistent social media presence assures that your brand visibility and your exposure will increase drastically and it will build up a channel for future engagements.
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GENERATES LEADS– Once people find your brand, they will want to learn more about your business: who you are and what you sell. They will want to know what you stand for and what are the rewards are for being your customer. Social media connects them to all the information that they will need to get to know your brand.
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NETWORKING– Once you are in the social media circles (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter,etc) You will run into opportunities to Network, you will begin to make connections based on the businesses that you will need to help run your business. Say you’re a caterer and you meet a baker on social media, you and the baker become “partners” in a sense and he starts to get work by baking whatever you need for your catering job and he gets paid for doing the baking while you get paid for doing all the rest. It’s all about networking and using the tools you are given. Business partnerships get the ball rolling on branching out and creating new opportunities for sales and promotes your product to an even larger and more diverse audience.
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REDUCE MARKETING SPEND- Social media will reward you in your business in more ways than one. Unlike traditional advertising, social media marketing goes a long way, providing a better return on engagement. Social media also creates a buzz which is some of the best marketing you can get, should your content go viral.
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INCREASED TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE– Social media channels can provide additional means of driving traffic to your website. Increased traffic can help you become a leader in your niche, which builds authority of and loyalty to your business.
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ENHANCED BRAND LOYALTY– New customers are important, but its keeping those same customers coming back for purchases that is the key to any successful business. Social media offers all the tools you will need to keep those repeat customers, and helps increase your customer base.
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ENHANCED MARKETPLACE– Social media provides you with a platform to work from to unlock new opportunities in the areas of content marketing, and customer engagement, partnerships and even new product development. Social media will provide you with a consumer thoughts and opinions that will prove to be invaluable as your business grows.
Social media is important and relevant to small to medium sized businesses because they want results now and they depend on their sales to take care of their living expenses, such as rent, bills, day care, food, etc… When you use social media platforms to boost your brand, you have a greater opportunity to increase your sales online and in store traffic (if you have a brick and mortar location).
It is proven that most people today don’t have the time to go shopping or do research after working a 12-14 hour job. They like that they can get online order what they want pay a few extra dollars for shipping and have it shipped directly to them without ever leaving their house. Or they can research something that they are looking for to buy in a brick and mortar location.
Social media isn’t a passing fad, in fact it is actually growing in popularity. If you are a small to medium sized business and you want to climb the ladder of success you don’t want to miss out on what social media has to offer!
