Most marketers and business owners now seem to understand that social media is “something they should be doing” but what exactly are the main benefits of a social media strategy and why should you engage in social media for your business?
Numbers
The significant numbers of people who interact with social media sites every day means it is something that can’t be ignored. With over 800m people on Facebook and nearly 100m on Google+, as well as hundreds of millions on Twitter – how can you ignore such an interconnected market? Social media is something that offers significant potential to companies, via the web, mobile web and otherwise and is a necessity for success in this day and age.
Interactive
Social media is a lot more interactive than the ‘old’ Internet and allows for a more personal experience. Business can pitch products in a more interactive manner and engage with customers in ways not considered previously online. It’s easy to talk to individuals, offer opinions and to solve problems on a one to one level.
Brand Awareness
The advent of social media is a great way to get brands out there. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube offer a new game as regards marketing and allow people to brand online in a way not seen before.
Using YouTube to create video is a great way for a brand to increase awareness. The sharing nature of these sites and the fun factor of the online community, make it a great place to utilize and get your brand name out there.
Trust
By creating a one-on-one feeling with your customers, you increase trust with them in a way a static website alone can’t do. The dynamic nature of social media aids trust in a brand and also allows you to get customer’s opinions.
It is also a great place to build up a reputation for trust, reliability and your business’s beliefs. This can go a long way to helping your company in the future.
Market Research
These social media sites are also a wonderful asset for market research, and it is easy to see what posts customers respond to and like. People love letting their opinions be known on social media, and you can use these opinions as market research.
Competitions and other interesting content can really get customers flocking in and can be used as a great device to conduct market research from.
Business contacts
Sites such as LinkedIn can be great for businesses with or without a standalone website of their own, as they allow them to increase their professional base and reputation in an industry. They allow you to share information with like-minded people and so allow you to swap and share ideas that may benefit your business – something that is of golden importance.
Competition
Social media sites can also be a great way to see what those in your industry are doing and to try and keep up with them. It offers an instantaneous form of research and allows you the benefits of keeping up with things as they happen in your industry.
John wrote this post on behalf of BaseKit – a service which allows you to build a website with social media features quickly and easily.
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