Social media continues to become an integral part of any business. Small businesses tend to have a limited marketing budget, so it’s important to invest it wisely to get the most out of it. Marketing via social media is among the most flexible and affordable strategies that small and medium-sized businesses can use to reach their target audience and increase their sales in the long run.
Research shows that about 97 percent of marketers use social media to reach their target audience. However, marketers need to be on top of social media marketing trends as the marketplace keeps evolving.
In this article, we will talk about some of the top reasons why small businesses must focus on social media marketing. Let’s see.
1. Your target audience is on social media
Smartphones are now available more than ever. This makes customers have access to social media channels easily. According to research, over 70% of the U.S. population has at least one social media account. Furthermore, the number of worldwide social media users is expected to hit 3.1 billion people by 2021. With millions of consumers using social media daily, this provides small businesses with an opportunity to reach their potential online audience. If you are not already on social media, this is the time to do so because you are missing out.
2. Social media marketing can help in increasing brand recognition
Social media can help boost visibility, hence increasing your brand recognition. To get started, create a social media profile, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for your business and start networking with other brands. Your business social media profiles will allow you to share your content and present your brand’s voice. Your content should be educative content that adds some value to your audience. This will make your brand more accessible.
3. Consumers are more likely to respond through social media
Consumers spend more time on these social media platforms since they offer entertainment, they can keep in touch with their family and friends, and stay updated on what’s happening around the world.
Research shows that over 95% of online adults- aged between 18 and 35 are likely to follow a particular brand on social media. When consumers follow brands and engage with them, that’s because they find the content and information valuable. One of the reasons why consumers are more likely to respond to you on social media is because it allows you to be more conversational.
4. It increases inbound traffic
You can get more inbound traffic to your website using your social media business profile. This makes social media marketing a great approach to complement your SEO efforts. The content you post on your social media profiles can bring new visitors to your website. Once a visitor comes to your site, you can get the chance to convert him or her as a client.
For you to get inbound traffic as much as you can, you must consistently post content that is educational and engaging for your target audience. Consistently posting quality content gives you more opportunities to engage new leads and direct them back to your site. If you have optimized your website for conversions, then it will become easy to convert new leads into customers.
5. It is cost-effective
When it comes to marketing, social media marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways. Creating a profile and signing up is free for almost all social media platforms. But even if you choose to use paid advertising on social media, you will still find that it is cost-effective. Being cost-effective is particularly essential for small businesses that have limited marketing budget. Cost is usually a significant concern for small businesses whenever they want to invest in anything. They must factor in the cost of marketing and integrating software like the POS system, CRM system, inventory management system, etc.
6. Different social media platforms can help you reach specific audiences
Social media marketing can allow you to strategically target various audiences depending on the platforms that your brand is most active. Instead of contacting everyone with your marketing message, you can simply reach your specific audience and work towards getting more qualified leads back to your website.
You can prepare a list of your audience demographic values. This list should include age, gender, location, hobbies, interests, the brands they follow, etc. Having all this information can give you a better idea of the types of social media platforms you can use to reach them. Moreover, it will also help you come up with content that can engage them, hence increasing your conversions.
7. Your competitors are on social media
No matter what business you do or who your target market is, it is more likely that your competitors are already on social media platforms. This means that your brand will do well on these platforms since some of your potential customers are already engaging with the competitors.
If you want your business to stand out from the competitors in this digital marketplace, you must start working toward building a powerful social media presence. You can not only use social media content to share a bit of your brand personality, but you can also use it to demonstrate your industry knowledge and expertise.
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