5 Reasons your business needs to be on social media

Image courtesy of BP

So you are still not convinced that your business needs to be on social media or you think that your pages are “good enough”.

There are now over 2.789 billion active social media accounts across the globe, that is 37% of the world’s population and that number is only going one way … up! Social media is no longer just somewhere for the kids to hang out, it is a platform that has taken great ideas and turned them into global corporations all within the last 20 years.

These are some very large and impressive numbers but how can social media actually help your business? Here are 5 benefits your company can expect to gain from having a great social media presence:

1. Get to know your customers like your best friend

One of the key benefits of social media is the customer insight it gives you. All of the major social media platforms offer extensive analytic data and great tools for interpreting it. If used correctly this data can give you priceless insight into what your customers want, how they behave and how you can best position yourself to solve their problems with your products/services.

2. Access to precision advertising tools

The advertising options offered by the top social media platforms are a marketers dream come true. For example, Facebook allows you to specify target locations, interests, behaviors and demographics. This means that you can ensure your advertisements are only attracting people who are interested in what you have to offer, which greatly helps your conversation rate.

You may think that this level of advertising accuracy is going to be expensive. However, advertising on social media is one of the cheapest methods of reaching large numbers of your target 

customers, with ads starting from as little as £1 per day.

3. Higher website traffic and search engine ranking

When you have a strong presence on social media, search engines such as Google will see your business as more of an authority in your area of business. As a result, not only will your web page appear higher in a Google search but your social media accounts will be separately listed, multiplying your presence. All of this additional exposure can greatly increase the amount of people connecting with your business online and the amount of people visiting your website.

4. Valuable competitor insight

Another great benefit social media gives your business is the ability to look at what your competitors are up to. Due to the open nature of social media, companies often post content that can provide an insight into what their current strategy and objectives are, allowing you to ensure your business is keeping up to date with the changing business landscape. In addition, seeing what content your competitors are posting also allows you to see what posts are most popular among your shared customer base, important information which can help you decide what content to share and promote.

5. Improved relationships with your customers

The final point on this list is perhaps the most important. Social media allows your customers to really get to know your business (this is particularly important for online businesses that have little face to face interaction with their customers). People like to buy from business that have similar values as themselves and the best way you can get across your companies values and ethos online is through utilising social media. By posting great content and interacting with your customers you will be telling your customers more about what your business stands for than any website or blog ever could.

Why wait, start now!

In this blog I have covered just a few of the many benefits that your business can enjoy from a strong social media presence, from great advertising options to learning more about your customers.

So, if I have managed to convince you to create a social media presence for your business, start by setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts and go from there. Or, if you already have social media pages set up but they are a bit lack luster, try spending a few more hours improving your presence and you will see the benefits for yourself.

George Rudge - Social 365