No matter who you are, a small business, or an international company, you need a social media presence. It is an effective way to reach customers, build trust, and increase brand awareness.
For example, the year 2021 brought about many changes, with businesses adopting Zoom and Google Meet as their default meeting room. And social media became the go-to space for career opportunities.
If this doesn't show the importance of social media for business, here are a few points that prove adopting social media is a good move.
What is Social Media?
Did you know that 59% of the world’s population uses social media?
In layman's terms, social media refers to websites that allow people to interact with each other such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and such. The definition is so vague that even websites such as Wikipedia are considered social media.
So, what exactly is social media? Social media is a computer-based technology that enables sharing of information, ideas, and thoughts through virtual networks.
Originally a way to communicate with friends and family, social media was adopted by businesses to reach out to their customers and grow their online presence
Importance of Social Media for Business
Did you know that 55% of customers learn about new brands on social media?
Social media holds immense potential since many consumers habitually log on to their social media accounts daily. According to the latest data, social media users spend an average of 2 hours and 29 minutes per day scrolling.
Here are a few reasons why social media is critical for businesses of all sizes and reach.
Builds Brand Awareness
Did you know that 95% of social media users follow at least one brand on any social media platform, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and such?
Businesses, particularly small firms, use social media for their brand awareness campaigns. Social marketers use ads, short videos, infographics, and other high-quality content to reach existing and potential customers. They also use hashtags to flag posts and increase brand awareness.
Builds a Community
One of the key benefits of social media marketing is its communities. Major brands like Apple ensure that they maintain a solid social media presence by building a community that talks about the products and the brand itself. It may be anything from a product review, photos showing the product, or even just specs.
Above all, having a community increases the brand’s visibility and presence. Be it negative or positive feedback, ensure that you interact with your community. It’s your response that influences the buyer’s decision.
Generates Better Leads
According to research, 78% of consumers use social media to discover brands.
Businesses often underestimate the impact of a positive customer experience. Meaningful conversations and engagement not only build trust and credibility with potential customers but also ensues in better results than any other marketing strategy.
It encourages customers to choose your brand over competitors and even recommend you to friends and family, resulting in brand loyalty.
Boosts Your Branding
According to Statista, 91.9% of companies with more than 100 employees use social media for marketing purposes.
A brand that doesn't use social media loses a good percentage of customers from the younger generation. Social media presence in itself is not enough. You should be creating meaningful content and engaging with the audience. This way, you not only attract new customers but also retain the existing ones.
Wrapping Up
In short, social media is an essential part of a successful business marketing strategy. In saying that, social media is not enough to drive business growth. You need a solid content marketing strategy.
The sooner you adopt social media, the farther it will take you toward business growth. However, it also has its challenges. Social media evolves regularly and is an ever-changing space, meaning it is noisy and crowded. Hiring a social media manager like, Shelley’s Social Media can take some of the workload off of your plate.
And hence it can be challenging to keep up with the evolving trends. But in all, adopting social media for business is hugely rewarding.