Social media – a global force for businesses
Around the world, there are 3.2 billion people who are active social media users. As a society, we have come to live and breathe it.
Many aspects of our jobs are focused around social media. It’s hard to believe then that there are still many businesses not using social media as a marketing platform and are unsure about social media business benefits.
With many potential customers active, it’s a fact that people are using social media in order to interact and engage with brands on a daily basis. If you are not taking advantage of social media, you are missing out on an inexpensive, effective and fast way to tap into almost half of the world.
In this article, we’ll look at several ways social media can help you to grow your business and the benefits of the use of social media.
Provide top quality customer service
This is arguably the biggest reason for you to have an active social media presence. There’s now a consumer expectation that brands will be available on social media and social media profiles are now often the first port of call for a customer service query.
The quicker you can respond, and the more helpful your policies and staff are, the more likely you will be to gain customers who will then in turn recommend your business elsewhere.
Reputation management
Whether you’re involved in the conversation or not, people on social media are talking about your brand. If you are correctly harnessing the power of social media, you will have a plan in place for active social media listening. This allows you to track when and where these conversations are occurring and offers you the opportunity to join in and engage as an active member of each social media platform.
This also allows you to present your side of the story. If someone is flat out lying about your brand or company, you can respond professionally and courteously. Of course, if you’re receiving praise you can thank people for their feedback.
Make consumers relate to you
Social media allows you to give a voice to your brand. Before purchasing from a website they’ve never used before, people will be scouring that company’s social media channels on various platforms to see if their fellow consumers are happy with the service they received. Is your brand doing as promised, and do you sell products that work? These are potential things consumers are searching for.
So that you might connect with any potential customers, you need to be able to demonstrate your brand values and ensure they’re relatable. The more you’re able to create one to one relationships with your customers, the more likely they are to do business with your company. Social media allows you to do exactly that and with a great deal more people than you’d be able to meet and greet if they walked into your shop.
Become a leading brand and get consumers to your website
People generally buy from brands that they’ve grown to like and trust, and social media offers the opportunity for your brand or company to become the go-to when people want to know about your sector.
Ensure you’re publishing content for your target audience and be wary of it being dry subject matters such as latest sales figures or board meeting minutes. Social media is about being “social” – so be engaging, helpful and part of a community. If you develop a reputation for being helpful, your brand will become a trusted source and consumers will come to you first to learn more.
There is of course only so much that can be garnered for customers from social media posts and advertisements, you need to drive people to your website. This is where you have all your products and all your information available.
When you are filling in your social media bios, make sure that your website is heavily featured and its good practice to use a pinned post on your profile to highlight your landing page.
Social selling and customer engagement
There is no doubt that good use of social media creates sales. Social selling will give your sales and marketing teams an easy opportunity to build relationships within existing networks. An engaging, active social media presence helps to keep your brand at the top of a consumer’s mind and so when someone is ready to make another purchase, they will come to you first.
Social media allows you to directly interact with people who are existing fans and supporters of your brand and gives you the opportunity to find new fans. In turn, this also gives them a direct line to your brand. By consistently engaging with your audience and fostering a booming community, you can demonstrate that you are there for your loyal supporters when required.
It is important to create relevant posts and be active – reply to comments and answer questions that people post on your content as this builds a rapport. Customer engagement is important.
Keep an eye on the competition
Social media also allows an opportunity to see what people are saying about your competitors. By tracking the mentions of one of your competitors, you may locate problems with their products or services which you could use to your advantage. In the process, you could win new customers.
Using social media in this way gives you a unique opportunity to delve into your rivals. You can collate information you don’t have access to normally, such as how long does it take for a competitor to respond to complaints. Is it long enough for your social media channel to step in and offer a solution?
Improve your use of social media today
We hope this article has demonstrated the benefits of social media. It is undoubtedly hard work but can provide excellent rewards when approached in a logical and strategic manner.
If you are looking for help with your use of social media, Maxweb can provide professional advice on your social media strategies. Please contact us on 0151 652 4777 or e-mail us via info@maxwebsolutions.co.uk for a discussion about how we can help your business today.
Posted on Monday, September 28th, 2020 in Social Media.
