What Can Social Media Do for You?

 
The world of business and commerce only becomes more and more competitive as time passes, and the only way to ensure that potential customers are choosing you over the competition is to actively approach and engage with these customers in the places that they already are – online. The internet is no longer just a place for posting and displaying information. The world wide web has blossomed into an entire online community, one that interacts and communicates in countless ways – even the word “sharing” means something entirely different than it used to.

Nowadays, almost every average citizen and famous celebrity has a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account, among others. However, social networking is not just for individuals anymore. More and more businesses and organizations are utilizing these tools to increase their online presence and build meaningful relationships with their customers, and many of them are reaping strong benefits from these interactions. If your business is part of the 7% of companies that do not yet use social media in their business strategies, perhaps its time to reconsider. Below are five reasons why social media should be added to your marketing strategy.

1. Social media helps establish authority for your business.

Social media can establish authority for your brand, at a mere fraction of the cost as print and commercial advertising techniques. Using social networking not only attracts attention for important industry insiders of your niche, but also attracts the attention of important customers who are seeking your products or services. By sharing posts and information related to your industry, you can show your potential clients that you are an expert in your field and stay current with what’s going on in your industry. When customers feel that they can trust you to provide accurate and updated information on a frequent basis, it is more likely than not that when they are seeking information about your niche, your brand will be the one that they turn to.

2. Social media helps you network with other businesses.

Social media allows professionals to interact and engage with other professionals in their industry. This is important not only for making important connections with key influencers in your industry, but also gives you a chance to learn about your peers and see how they are running their own businesses. This is great for identifying common problems and discovering new ways of addressing them. Social media also allows you to identify powerful people within your niche, interact with them, and build important relationships or potential partnerships.

3. Social media provides you with important positive and negative feedback.

Social media is possibly the greatest tool available today for learning about your customer. You can easily research your followers and discover what age, gender, and location they fall under, helping you develop further business plans for targeting these specific groups as your business grows. Social media also allows you to interact with your actual customers, inviting them to let you know what they like and what they don’t like, so you can adjust your business plan accordingly. While everyone seeks compliments and a high number of “likes,” it’s important to remember that the negative feedback and criticism that you receive is just as important, if not more, than the positive things you hear.

4. Social media gives your business a personality and a voice.

Websites like Facebook and Twitter are not just for the average joe or famous celebrity to showcase their personality anymore. Businesses can now create online presences on these sites, sharing product photos, current specials and sales, and even just thoughts and information. Suddenly a business is no longer just their logo or the products they offer. Social media allows businesses to show their personalities and style, whether that’s serious, goofy, or thoughtful. Let your customers know who you are, what’s important to you, and the ideals that your company stands for, and you’re very likely to appeal to customers who might not have considered you previously.

5. Social media drives traffic to your main site.

Social media can easily drive more customers to your business by increasing traffic to your company’s website and improving your search engine rankings. It’s easy to see that the more social media sites that your company is a part of, the more opportunities you have for people to discover your business. And because social media allows your followers and fans to easily share your products and information with others who might be interested, people who might not have even been looking for what you offer are suddenly aware of you, and the seed has been planted. The number of “likes” and shares that you have also gives you more credibility to Google and other search engines, and can quickly move your business’ site up in the rankings.

While social media is free to use, it can be time consuming to invest what it takes to truly build a community of followers and support. At Damonaz Designs we have a team of creative and experienced writers and web developers, well prepared to run your social media for you. Damonaz Designs works hard to accommodate your needs, offers a variety of affordable plans to choose from, and is dedicated to helping your business find it’s presence online.