l businesses have to be careful about what type of marketing strategies they invest in. When you have a limited marketing budget, it’s important to get the most for your money. Social media marketing is one of the most versatile and cost-effective strategies that small businesses can use. Targeting your audience can boost your sales over time. That’s why great marketers are using social media to reach their audiences.
What’s so great about social media marketing? Here are Shadowbend Studios top 5 reasons why marketing through social media is a must for small businesses, especially today!.
5 Reasons Your Business Needs Social Media Marketing
1. Your Customers are on Social Media Platforms
The best reason for your business to market through social media platforms is that’s where your customers are spending their time! At least 70% of the U.S. population has at least one social media profile. And by 2021, the number of worldwide social media users is expected to reach about 3.1 billion people. With so many consumers using social media every day, this presents a great opportunity for small businesses who want to reach their online audience.
Connecting with your target audience can be easy if you are active on the channels that your customers use most often. In other words, , don’t make your audience come to you – go to your audience! If you aren’t already on social media, you could be missing out on an important chance to connect with your customers and engage with new leads.
2. Consumers Are More Receptive to Your Messages
Users are active on social media platforms because these channels offer a fun and easy way to network, keep in touch with friends and family, and stay connected with what’s going on in the world. Typically, users are not on these channels with the expectation that they are going to be marketed to. But this does not mean that social media users aren’t following and interacting with their favorite brands.
In fact, 95% of online adults ages 18 to 34 are likely to follow a brand on social media. However, when users follow brands and engage with their social media profiles, it is because they find the content and information in these social media campaigns valuable. Whether they are looking for deals, enjoy entertaining content, or just want to learn more about the brand, social media users are open to engaging with brands on social media channels.
The reason why consumers may be more receptive to your brand message on social media is because social media allows you to be more conversational and show a different side of your brand. The content that you publish on these channels contribute to your brand personality and help you demonstrate your brand voice. On social media, you are able to make authentic connections with your leads and customers, rather than just delivering direct marketing messages. This is something that consumers are generally more responsive towards.
It’s probably not new to you to find customers and companies discussing an issue/ concern about their brand on Twitter. Or maybe you have stumbled upon some brands’ Q & As on Instagram Stories. Most marketers see these social media channels as a way to get to know their audience better in a more personal way. So you should too!
3. Marketing Through Social Media Increases Brand Recognition
Another benefit of marketing through social media is that it helps you improve visibility, and thus increase recognition for your brand. Your business social media profiles present new opportunities to share your content and really present your brand’s voice and personality. By posting compelling content that adds value for your target audience, you are making your brand both more accessible and familiar for new leads and current customers.
For example, let’s say that a new lead stumbles upon your brand on social media. They may not have heard of your company before, but through your social media content, they are able to learn more about your brand and the value that you provide. This same situation can apply to your current customers. After seeing your social media content on multiple networks, existing customers are able to become better acquainted with your business, which may increase their interest in a repeat purchase.
4. Marketing Through Social Media Increases Inbound Traffic
Your social media profiles provide yet another way to get more inbound traffic to your website. This makes marketing through social media an excellent strategy to complement your search engine optimization efforts. Each piece of content that you post is an opportunity to bring new visitors to your site. Once the visitor gets to your site, you will have the opportunity to convert.
To get the most inbound traffic possible, it’s important that you consistently publish content that is engaging and adds value for your audience. The more quality content that you post, the more opportunities you have to engage new leads. If your website is optimized, then its only a matter of time before new leads convert into customers.
5. Different Social Media Channels Help Your Reach
Another benefit of social media marketing is that you are able to strategically target different audiences. Based on channels your brand is active on, rather than putting your marketing message out there for everyone to see. You can reach your target market and work to drive more qualified leads back to your site.
Create a clear list of your audience demographic values – the more detailed it is, the better. This list can include their gender, age, location, interests, the brands they follow, hobbies, etc. Knowing these values will give you more idea on which social media channel you should use to reach them. Also, this will help you in creating content that will engage your audience thus increasing your chances for conversions. The more relevant this traffic is, the more likely you will be to boost conversion rates.
Call Shadowbend Studios today to learn more about how your business can utilize Social Media Marketing!
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Sources: ama.org/ & statista.com