Social media marketing has quickly grown from the weird-edgy kid in the corner to a central player in the advertising field – to the point that many have even talked of a “bubble”. This is because of these 5 great benefits of social media.
Nevertheless, while each click may not always end in a sale, a properly curated social media presence can be a game changer for a small business. Here are 5 great benefits of social media and why your company should jump on the bandwagon.
Social media marketing is levelling the marketing field in unprecedented ways, as it will allow you to reach and monitor nooks and crannies you normally wouldn’t. For example:
In many ways, social media does the same as direct marketing, getting customers to know who you are. However, unlike the static methods used by TV or magazine advertising, it allows you to adjust your strategies more quickly since your target audience will make itself immediately evident.
This is especially critical in certain industries, such as non-tangible products or expert services. Customers will prefer to give their money to someone they know and trust, and social media provides even new, small businesses with an additional avenue to establish themselves as experts in any given field.
Retail companies may not depend on an “expert reputation” as much as lawyers, but they can still benefit from social media visibility.
Facebook pages now largely replace the yellow pages, and many customers now use its search function whenever trying to locate an address or number. If they can’t find you there, they might move on to the next company on their list.
An often cited disadvantage of social media is how often clients and customers use it to publicly complain about bad service, instead of dealing with traditional customer service lines.
However, this should be seen as a unique opportunity for damage control.
A promptly handled complaint on Facebook may not always be a P.R. stunt, but it usually prevents further damage.
At this point of the game, social media is no longer the free game it used to be.
Targeted ads and product placement cost money, as does producing content. However, when measured in terms of cost, it’s still remarkably cheaper than traditional advertising channels.
There are undeniable risks to a mismanaged social media presence, and reaping realising these 5 great benefits of social media is often time-consuming.
However, a social media page that offers interesting content and answers customers quickly is a major asset – and your competitors have not failed to notice.
A ready stream of personalised, tailored content for your social media accounts will allow more time to engage with your clients and customers and this is where your real ROI will come from.