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Why Do I Need Social Media?
This is a question that most businesses ask themselves especially when first starting. At first glance, Social Media can seem a useless endeavor, maybe even counter-intuitive. However, the reality is in this era businesses need social media to survive and prosper. These days the consumer is not only smarter than ever they are more connected than ever. One of the first places that people think to check after google when it comes to looking for a business is social media. Even more than that keeping a strong social media presence especially as a small business can give you benefits you might never have even thought of.
“Social media will help you build up loyalty of your current customers to the point that they will willingly, and for free, tell others about you.” --- Bonnie Sainsbury, Founder and CEO of Social Media Smarter
Connecting With Your Audience
The first and most valuable benefit to being on Social Media as a small business is of course the ability to connect with your audience. As a small business, you have to work that much harder to make yourself known to the people you are looking to sell to. However, before you can start selling you need to connect with your audience. During times like these, it has become apparent that businesses can longer depend solely on in-person contact to build a rapport with customers. Instead during a time like this small businesses are being provided the perfect opportunity to connect with their audiences in a new and maybe even more authentic way. Social media allows you to get a real look into the lives of your audience seeing what they like and dislike and what they are looking for in a business. Tools such as Instagram Live, Facebook, and Instagram Stories, Twitter, and more are perfect chances to showcase your business in an authentic way that touches the lives of your audience.
“It's a dialogue, not a monologue, and some people don't understand that. Social media is more like a telephone than a television.” - Amy Jo Martin, author of Renegades Write The Rules
Building Your Brand
Another essential part of social media is building and establishing your brand. As a small business, you need to do everything that you can to stand out amongst the competition. The best way to do this is by establishing your brand and brand identity via social media. Establishing who you are, what you do, and how people can benefit from supporting you is one of the best things you can do on social media. This can come in the form of consistent use of certain colors, words, and messaging to increase overall brand recognition. In terms of building your actual brand that will come from engagement with your audience, posting content that your audience can use and enjoy, and informing people about what you stand for as a brand. Social Media has completely changed the landscape as it pertains to the ability of brands to make meaningful connections with their audience. Small Businesses especially need to take advantage of this fact, as it can be that much easier to build a long-lasting base on Social Media than it would be in person.
Increasing Business
Using social media as a small business can be one of the best ways to increase traffic to websites, landing pages, and more. On top of allowing more interaction with audiences, Social Media has allowed easier avenues for consumers to buy products, leave reviews, and save items for future purchase. In some regards, Social Media is effective when it comes to increasing the pace of the buyer's journey. With a multitude of different buttons, features, and opportunities to link your site Social Media is one of the best current avenues for businesses to continue to make sales and even increase sales during times like these. Using Social Media as a small business is a no brainer because it allows businesses to improve every aspect of their audiences user experience without ever having to see them.
Staying On Top Of Trends
One of the best things that Social Media allows businesses to do is stay on top of trends. Staying current as it pertains to what is going on in the world has become more of a requirement than a general suggestion. Businesses must convey their recognition of the world's events in their messaging. The downside to this is that for smaller businesses creating ad campaigns and getting media buys is not something so easily accomplished. Enter Social Media which allows you immediately recognize trends and respond accordingly without having to worry about being behind. Social Media is an invaluable tool for any business that is just starting and looking to connect with their audience on a much larger scale.
Conclusion
To put it simply Social Media has a value that cannot be denied when it comes to advancing small businesses on a larger scale. It enables them to build their brand, create genuine connections with their audience, stay on top of trends, and even has the potential to boost sales While Social Media is ultimately a time investment it enables so many other options and opportunities for businesses looking to make a name for themselves. If you need help starting your Social Media Rosemint Media can help. Click here to set up a consultation call today.