The benefits of social media marketing

Social media has changed the operations of businesses, marketing, and customer service. According to a demographic study, 72% of all Internet users are now active on social networks. The common saying is “if you don’t have a social network profile, you may as well not exist.” If you want them to spread the word, you have to engage them on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+. If you want to stay on your potential guests’ radar then you must use these available tools, especially when 85% of consumers expect businesses to be active on social media.

To some entrepreneurs, this is a temporary yet powerful fad that companies should take advantage of while it is still “hot”. Others claim it is a buzzword that has no practical advantages with a complicated learning curve. They see it as a passing marketing interest that is unprofitable.

However, statistics illustrate a different picture. According to Hubspot, 92% of marketers in 2014 claimed that social media marketing was important for their business, with 80% indicating their efforts increased traffic to their Websites. This demonstrates a huge potential for social media marketing to increase sales. However, there is a lack of understanding how to achieve these results. Here are a few ways social media marketing can improve your business:

1. Increase you brand recognition. Every opportunity you get to maximize your content and increase your visibility is valuable. Your social networks are just new channels for your brand’s voice and content. It makes your services and products easier and more accessible for new customers, and it renders your company more familiar and recognizable for existing clients. For example, a Twitter user may hear about your company for the first time only after stumbling upon it in a newsfeed.

2. Improved brand loyalty. Brands that engage on social media channels enjoy higher loyalty from their customers and; therefore, companies should take advantage of the tools social media gives them when it comes to connecting with their audience. A strategic social media plan may help in influencing consumers into become brand loyal to your company.

How much the consumer trusts your company relates to the way their issues are handled. Because of social media, they now have the ability to contact you directly with any questions of complaints.

3. More opportunities to convert. Every post on a social media platform is an opportunity to convert consumers. When you build a following you will have access to new, recent and old customers. You will then be able to interact with them. Every blog post, image, video, or comment you share is a chance for someone to react, and every reaction may lead to a site visit, and eventually to a conversion. Keep in mind, not all interactions will lead to a conversion. Even if you click-through rates are low, the number of opportunities you have on social media is significant.

4. Higher conversion rates. Social media marketing results in higher conversion rates. Brands have become more humanized by interacting in social media channels, they can act like people do. This is important as people like doing business with other people, not companies.

5. Higher brand authority. If you interact on a regular basis with your customer, it shows good faith on your part. When people want to compliment, brag or even complain about a product or service, they often turn to social media. By posting your brand name, new audience members will want to follow you for updates. The more people talk positively about you on social media, the more valuable and authoritative your brand will seem to new users.

6. Increased inbound traffic. Without social media, you inbound traffic is limited to people who are already familiar with your brand. Every social media profile you add is another path that leads back to your Website, and every piece of content you post on those profiles is another opportunity for a new visitor. The more traffic you generate, the more leads and opportunities for conversion you will have.

7. Decreased marketing costs. If you can spare an hour a day to develop your content and syndicating strategy, you could start seeing the results of your efforts. Even paid advertising for some channels is cheap (depending on your goals, of course). Start small and you won’t have to worry about going over budget. If you choose, you can later increase your budget.

8. Better search engine rankings. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the best way to capture relevant traffic from search engines, but the requirements for success often changes. It is no longer enough just to update your blog, optimize title tags and meta descriptions, and link back to your site. Google and other search engines use a complicated algorithm to calculate your ranking. By being active on social media channels, you are telling search engines that your brand is legitimate, credible, and trustworthy.

9. Richer customer experiences. Social media is a communication channel, every customer interaction is an opportunity to publicly demonstrate your customer service level and enrich your relationship with your clients.

10. Improved customer insights. Social media gives you the chance to gain valuable information about what your clients are interested in and how they behave. For example, you may monitor user comments to see what they think of your business.

If you are unsure of how to go about this or you don’t have the time, you should consider hiring an agency to carry out this mandate for your company.