An Overview of Social Media Use for Small Businesses

The numbers explain it all, social media users throughout the world are growing by millions. So is the average time spent on each social media channel. More progress is on its way thanks to the COVID pandemic.

If you haven’t created social media presence for your business, you are at loss. It has now turned into a direct marketing channel, which can open a world of possibilities for a business regardless of its size. Soon, customers will be buying services like Spectrum Internet plans and products like full-fledged homes through social media. The possibilities are endless!

How can social media benefit your business? In several ways! Let’s talk about some of the unique benefits:

1: A Platform to Tell Your Story

Every business has a story to tell and this story makes it unique. Social media allows you to introduce yourself with this story. The way you tell your story can make you connect with customers on an emotional level. You don’t even need a viral narrative for that.

2: Precious Customer/Audience Data

Social media platforms are a powerhouse of data on your audience. Initially, when you don’t know enough about your customers, social media gives you all the insights you need. This eliminates the need for carrying out expensive customer research.

Each platform has its own dashboard and they give you details about your interests, ages, gender, and other demographic information. You will be left with a clear image of the buyer persona and this will make selling easier.

3: Online Reviews That Build Trust and Drive Sales

Testimonials or reviews from real customers are the real deal. They create social proof, trigger emotions, and play a role in storytelling. When buying from a brand or business, the first thing a potential buyer checks on your social media ages is reviews.

The more reviews you have, the more trust it will build. The best part of reviews is that if a customer buys from your brand and they have a really nice experience, they will come and review your page on their own. They would want the whole world to know that you are selling something great.

4: Powerful Organic Ranking

When it comes to search engine ranking, Google does not take likes, comments, shares, follows, or tweets into account when ranking a site. However, social signals still count. Matt Cutts, a former Google employee explained that social media campaigns have a role to play when it comes to improving CTR.

There is a correlation between popular articles on social media and the articles that have ranked well on search engines.

5: Powerful Sales Weapon

Social media can help with lead generation big time. You can create a sales funnel for your business, in which potential clients go through a series of steps before becoming customers. Allow your sales agents to use social media to drive sales and see how it turns out.

Because your sales agent is only communicating to customers who have been educated about your brand, this will improve the chances of generating leads. Social selling can prove to be highly effective here. It's a technique for generating more leads and nurturing the relationship with those leads. it’s effective because you are warming up the leads and they will contact you when they feel they are ready to buy.

6: A World of New Opportunities

Social media is a surefire way of getting in front of clients. The social marketplaces are making it easier to get in front of a customer without having to attend a trade show, market yourself on the radio or make a customer subscribe to your email list.

These networks give you the chance to get noticed and explore new marketing opportunities which can’t be explored offline.

7: A Way to Add a Human Touch to Your Brand

For so long, businesses have been selling like robots and modern customers are not having it. They want to see the human side of a business and this is done by sharing stories and convictions. Social media platforms give you marketing opportunities to add a human touch to your brand. Because of that, buyers could start relating to you and this can help with branding big time.

To add a human touch to your brand, ask yourself these questions:

• Are the values your brand stands for?
• How is your business taking care of the interests of its customers?
• How are you taking care of your employees?
• What is it that you are doing for the community in general?

8: Exceptional Customer Support

Consumers are now finding it much more convenient to lodge their complaints and queries via social media instead of filling out cumbersome forms or calling customer service. If you want your business to stand out, offer support, hire a social media support agent or a VA. You can also use a bot to take care of customer queries outside business hours to give them a feeling that you are there whenever they need you.