Ten years ago, using social media for business was an alien concept. Today, however, with the rise of giants like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, social media has become a playground for all demographics. In simple terms, it is every marketer’s dream come true! The world moves at a fast pace, and with the days of traditional marketing over, now is the time for social media marketing, which has many more benefits than other ways of marketing, including giving you free access to a vast audience of potential customers, whatever your product or service.
Small businesses often shoot themselves in the foot by assuming that social media is a game for the big boys, with millions of pounds to play with, but that’s not the case. For start-ups and small businesses, in particular, social media platforms, with their hashtags, comments and likes, provide a wealth of opportunity for small businesses to engage and grow, a close-knit community with both present and future customers! Interesting fact – According to Datareportal, there are more than 4.2 billion active social media users worldwide; this is a fundamental reason small businesses need social media because your target audiences use these platforms.
78% of consumers are willing to purchase from a business after a positive encounter with them on social media. Creating positive customer experiences is important because it encourages repeat purchases and enhances loyalty to your brand. They can go as far as recommending
and convincing their network to choose your brand over competitors. Specific customer expectations are the basis for a positive experience. Factors like creative and relevant content, responsive customer service, and a personal understanding of customers are essential in creating this experience. 68% of consumers say that social media allows them to interact with businesses. Your brand is more likely to win a customer over when they can interact with your business on social media. These interactions can be in the form of feedback, comments, likes, and shares.
Unlike traditional marketing and one-way media advertisements driven by monologues, social media marketing encourages dialogue by enabling customer engagement; that’s why social media marketing is suitable for small businesses. Another benefit social media provides to small businesses is that it allows customers to report product problems, submit reviews, or send personal messages, which are crucial for business success and reputation management.
Social media interaction is vital for businesses because customer engagement goes a long way in attracting brand love from customers. Brands that consistently respond and engage in dialogue with their customers are better positioned to meet the needs of their customers and humanise their content in a way that deepens the customer-brand relationship. 55% of consumers first discover new businesses on social media. Social media is a discovery arena. Now more than ever, consumers are more likely to find your business on social media than on television and radio adverts. Television and radio ads are losing their potency in putting your business in the faces of potential customers because 55% of consumers learn about new businesses and brands on social media. 43% of consumers increased their social media use to learn about new
products during the lockdown. The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic transformed the digital space.With the physical world shut down and people staying indoors, consumers’ use of the digital space, especially social media, to learn about new products and services skyrocketed.
Staring your own business, as I’m sure we have already mentioned, means you are probably already wearing more hats than a Doctor Seuss character (or maybe that was just Cat in the Hat…). That is where this module is going to help! Not only will we show you how to manage all your social media accounts in one place, we are going to help you create the perfect profiles to…
BUILD BRAND AWARENESS USING SOCIAL MEDIA
Small businesses need social media to enhance brand awareness. As more people embrace social media, you can utilise platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to target and reach millions of potential customers quickly and cost-effectively. We are going to show you how!
Using social media effectively is a surefire way of growing your business. We are going to give you the tools to create posts and ads to increase traffic; show you how to add your web address to your social media platforms so customers know where to go to find out more; give you the
knowledge and confidence to engage in social media conversations to gain visibility, attract new followers and demonstrate your expertise, and promote your website; help you understand lead generation and how this can boost sales; create positive talk around your product and services to attract attention. Engage in conversations. Communication enables you to manage your reputation, respond to and engage with customers, and develop customer support. Effective communication on social media means acknowledging your customers by sending them plenty of thanks when they’re singing your praises; give prompt replies that settle your customer’s frustrations when they share them; share your crisis with customers so as not to leave them in the dark when problems arise. Social media is a two-way street that allows you to engage customers by answering their questions about your business and liking their comments on your posts. Excellent customer support on social media can say good things about your business and show that you have your customers’ interests at heart.
With social media, you can create, distribute, and promote content related to your business. A way to create relatable content on social media is by engaging your followers. Content ideas can spring from asking your customers what they want. Giving people what they want is a sure way of creating engaging content that people are eager to share with their network. Another way is to find user-generated content (UGC) to share by starting a contest or using a hashtag. Engaging your audience with this approach can increase their interest in your brand and give you a surplus of social media content to share over time. And much more!!!
