Does Your Business Need To Be On Social Media?

Does your business need to be on social media?

Take this short quiz to find out!

Are you ready?

Here we go…

QUESTION: Do you own a business that works with people?

If you answered NO, then probably not.

If you answered YES, then YES!!!

END OF QUIZ

 

What is the purpose of social media?

Social media is simply websites or applications that allow users to create and share content to take part in social networking.

Unless you have been living as a hermit, you most likely have heard about the more popular platforms and possibly have a personal account with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

In business, the world of social media is an instant access portal to your customers. Social media allows companies to reach new customers, build relationships with existing customers, promote their brand, and market their products.

Not too long ago print ads were the go-to way to market your business. This was expensive and very difficult to measure your ROI.

Say a publication had a readership of 50,000 how many of those readers were the right demographic? How many noticed the ad? How many of those were actively looking to buy your offer?

Today, with social media you can track all that and more!

 

Demographic Targeting

Who are my customers?

That is one of the first and basic questions a business must answer. Everyone is not the right answer if you want a high ROI on your marketing dollars.
With many social media platforms, you have the power to target a specific age, gender, location, and even general interests of the people viewing your ads.

When it comes to networking and finding new clients, social media allows even the work from home mom to reach a global audience with a few clicks.

Reaching a targeted audience means reaching more warm or hot leads for less money, bringing a higher ROI for new customer acquisition.

 

Retargeting

Did you know that it is easier to sell to someone who has already purchased from you?

Once you have invested the time and money to earn the trust of a buyer, you can build on that trust by reaching out to them further and strengthen the relationship.

Social media platforms keep the conversation going. Sharing content that encourages user engagement with likes, comments, and shares will build brand preference, customer loyalty, and even a referral network!

Sharing your new products, sales and promotions on social media will keep your customers informed, interested, and invested in your business. Lengthening the customer lifecycle once again brings a higher ROI.

Have we convinced you yet?

 

Getting Social

Where are my customers?

Another fundamental question a business should answer in their marketing assessment.

Not too long ago home computers were not the standard, and high-speed Internet was unheard-of. Yes, I’m that old but don’t laugh… you probably are too!

Today, even Grandma – or heck! Great-Grandma is online!

With the majority of people online, often several times a day, the opportunity to be seen by your target audience is huge! You are no longer subject to foot traffic, signage, or newspaper ads. You can deliver your targeted offer right to your customer’s home!

People are online. If your business deals with people, you need to be investing in online marketing, period.

Different platforms will attract different demographics. For example, recently stats showed that the majority of social media users are on Facebook and YouTube but the majority of young people are branching out and are more active on Instagram and Snapchat, and Twitter.

Knowing where your customers are will help you choose what platform will have the highest ROI for your resources as you get started.

 

Sharing Content

Many business owners create a social media business account; write their first post, and then hear crickets, nothing!

The whole point of social media is to join the conversation but what if there is none? What if you still cannot seem to reach your audience in spite of targeting?

The issue here will come down to content.

Sharing visually pleasing graphics and valuable content is key to social media. People do not want fluff. People on social media are looking for authenticity, real value, and an emotional connection.

Social media is all about relationships.

What are your customers interested in seeing?

What will get your customers talking? What will get your customers sharing your content with their friends?

Social media content includes video, pictures, copy, graphics, and links. Create content that is relevant to your brand message, offers real value to your target audience, and drives a genuine emotional response.

Developing a content strategy can help focus your efforts and create a consistent content calendar. The only thing worse than having no social media account is having a boring and outdated one!

Consider creating a digital library of videos, photos, and graphics.

Make a list of seasonal promotions and events you will highlight.

Outline your products and services on a rotation.

Having a plan ahead of time will make sure you always have something of value to post and still allows for real-time news as filler.

 

Outsourcing

As a business owner you are already probably wearing many hats, have too many balls up in the air and are running on fumes. Social media may seem like the last thing you can pour energy on.

The good news is there are no shortage of content creators and social media managers looking for work and are willing to help local businesses succeed online.

Hire a photographer to help you build a photo library. Sharing just one photo each week is only 52 photos!

Hire a videographer to help you capture smooth and professional promotional videos or record your own! If you are not comfortable being on the camera, you can consider an animation or even slideshow presentation.

Hire a copywriter to help you craft some snappy messaging.

Hire a social media manager to help you create, post, schedule, and track your business profile.

The bottom line is, there is no excuse for your business not to be on social media.

Need some more help? Contact us today to create a social media strategy that works for you!

 

Not sure where to start? We can help.

Once we've discussed your goals, we'll provide a personalized plan of attack to help you reach them.