Creating a digital footprint is a challenge for many small business owners, however it is becoming easier to do with the huge array of inexpensive and easily accessible digital tools. In order to compete against bigger players in your industry it is essential to use social media to help improve your online presence. But how does this help? Well, we’ve listed 5 reasons to use social media to promote your small business below and if you take the time you’ll dramatically improve your online presence and in turn increase your customer base.
1. Gain exposure – this is a big one and is a critical component
Small business owners can use social media as an additional channel to reach both current and prospective customers. Social media can be used to link back to your website or similarly your website can have different social media icons such as Twitter to draw traffic to your social sites. As well as helping you gain more exposure for your small business this will help you rank higher in search engines. When you have other sites linking back to your company website this will demonstrate to Google that your website represents an expert in your industry and so should rank higher, thus increasing exposure.
We’re going to come back to this topic again and delve deeper so that you get the exact instructions on what to do. It’s not rocket science but will demand your time and attention.
2. Build relationships – so easy but so often overlooked
Social media accounts allow you to get more personal with your audience which can help with relationship building. These sites mean that your business can communicate to others in an informal way which can improve consumer perception as they see you as human. By building meaningful relationships and humanising your small business you are more likely to increase sales.
3. Improve customer service – the way to go
You can take advantage of social media by using it to listen to what’s being said about your small business and engage in the conversation to ensure that your brand’s reputation is well managed. This can be used to get consumers’ feedback so you can focus on making any necessary changes within your company so that your target markets needs are met. If people are responding negatively to your business and you reply to them quickly you may be able to change this view to a positive one by resolving the issue they’re having.
4. Increase brand awareness – happy days and more customers
Seeing as social media allows you to reach both current and prospective customers it can help you increase awareness about your small business. Through sharing valuable content on your social media accounts you will be able to take advantage of free word of mouth marketing provided your content is engaging enough for people to want to share it with their friends. The more people that are aware of your company and the better your reputation, the greater your profit potential and overall brand value.
5. It’s inexpensive! – that’s good news
Compared to traditional marketing techniques, using social media marketing is a very low-cost method which at the same time as saving your small business money, doesn’t sacrifice quality. Although it is a big money saver, it is very time consuming and so it is important to learn how to manage your time spent on social media.
