Should Your Business Be Using Social Media?

Social networks have become a huge part of marketing strategy amongst most businesses. The benefits of using it in your business are so big that not putting this essentially free marketing source into action will cause you to miss out on a major opportunity.

We’ve organized this list to outline the benefits of using social media in your business:

• Cost-Effectiveness

Social media marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies a business can implement. Signing up for almost any account is free, and any promotion that you decide to spend money on within these platforms is at a significantly lower cost than traditional marketing spending. Obviously being cost-effective is such a big advantage because you’ll see a greater ROI.

• All-Around Better For Your Brand
  • Brand Awareness

Right off the bat, having social media accounts will increase your brand’s visibility. You’ll be reaching a much broader audience by using a social media strategy. By having employees, partners, and customers “liking” or “sharing” on social platforms, your brand is being consumed by more consumers than you would normally reach. The larger the network of people your brand is spread to, the more potential customers you have to market to.

• Brand Loyalty

A major goal of almost any business is to build a loyal customer base. In order to do that, you need to engage with customers on a more personal level and more regular basis. Customers see business accounts on social media platforms as a service channel as well as a place where brands promote products and services. It’s no secret that millennials are known to be the most brand-loyal generation yet, and the most active on all social media platforms. Since they make up the largest generation in history, you want to make sure to appeal to their demographic.

• Brand Authority

When your customers see you interacting online and posting original content, it makes your business seem more dependable. Regular interaction with customers or even prospects shows that you not only care about their satisfaction but also that you are available to communicate through more mediums than just phone and email. Customers that are especially pleased with your customer service, response times, products, and/or services are more than likely to share this information on social media as well. Having the “free advertising” of satisfied customers tooting your horn on social media can establish your brand as an authority in your field.

• Traffic Increase

Without marketing, the only traffic you’re getting to your website is from your current customers. Without employing social media as part of your marketing strategy, you'll have a good amount of difficulty reaching consumers outside of your loyal customer circle. Each new social media account you create and every piece of original content you post to those accounts is an added highway to your website. By having multiple social media accounts, you’ll be reaching different demographics with the same content posted to each, which in turn increases the number of people driving through your website every day.

• Heightened Search Engine Rankings

When trying to gain a higher page ranking on search engines, social media is helpful but not on its own. The higher your page ranking, the more likely you are to have more incoming traffic to your website. Research by Social Media Examiner shows that more than 58% of marketers who have been using social media for one year or longer still see improved search engine rankings. Most people using Google or a similar search engine will not click beyond the first page because more often than not the answer to their question will be answered on page one. By ranking in the top positions for your keywords you will keep your incoming traffic new and consistent. Using high-quality content on your social media, such as links to blogs and business information, that integrates your targeted keywords, will help keep your business top of the rankings.

• Conversion Rate Increase

The more you are engaging on social platforms, the more visibility your business will have. This gives you more opportunities to reach people you may not have before. Having more traffic will give you a stronger chance of conversion. When you interact on social media by posting relevant content, it gives your brand a personality. Customers like the idea of doing business with another person, rather than the idea of a large faceless company. The more you engage and interact, the better impression you will make, leading customers to think of your brand next time they are in need of the service or product you offer. Studies have shown that social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing. Also, reported by Social Media Examiner, about 66% of marketers saw lead generation benefits by using social media platforms at least 6 hours per week. By putting your brand in a scene where people are constantly sharing, connecting, and liking, your conversion rate can increase tremendously.

A marketing strategy that includes social media platforms, helps ensure that your business is reaching a larger consumer base. It will also help you save money versus traditional marketing. Using targeted keywords and inserting relevant original content throughout your platforms is going to improve your conversion rate as well as raise your search engine ranking.

If you’d like help getting your social accounts enabled in your Salesforce org, give us a call!