What You Can Gain From Social Media Marketing

If you are like a lot of people, you may use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc… for personal use and because they are fun.  But, you may not know how these same sites could benefit your business or company if you use them strategically.

The Stats Tell The Story

The fact is that more and more people are relying on the internet and their mobile devices for research, shopping, selecting suppliers and staying connected with business contacts.  Just look at the stats below from last year’s Digital Influence Index:

  • 89% of consumers surveyed use internet search engines to make buying decisions
  • 42% of consumers follow a brand on a social networking site and their overall greatest motivation is to learn more about the brand they are following
  • Almost 1 out of 5 people now look on Facebook to obtain information about a brand or product
  • Almost 2 out of 3 consumers surveyed use a mobile/smartphone to gain information on a brand, product or destination at least three or four days a week

Are you beginning to understand why you need to use social media for your business?

What You Can Gain By Using Social Media For Your Business

As the stats above suggest, if you don’t want to be left in the dust by your competitors, you need to have a strong presence on the internet and on social media sites.  While it’s one thing not to be left in the dust, you’ll also want to make sure you are effectively using social media so you benefit from the many positive results it can provide, such as:

  • Reconnecting with people you’ve lost touch with
  • Meeting new people that may become referral partners for you or your business contactsWhat You Can Gain From Social Media Engagement
  • Meeting new people that may become customers
  • Easy access to up-to-date contact info for your acquaintances & business contacts so you never lose track of them
  • Your contacts will have easy access to up-to-date contact info for YOU
  • Increasing your incoming website links which will boost your search engine ranking
  • Building or increasing your internet presence so your business is easily found (more entries in the search engines)
  • Improving and managing your online reputation
  • Establishing yourself or your company as an expert in your industry
  • Feeling connected to others (especially if you work from home)
  • Having resources that you can call if you need help or advice
  • Developing trusted referral partners that you can refer out to customers (you’ll earn brownie points for doing this)
  • Gathering reviews or testimonials of your work or service that you can use for marketing purposes
  • Maintaining and strengthening your current business relationships
  • Having a communication channel where you can easily announce specials, contests, events, new product/service, low rates, great deals, etc…

To Get Results You Must Have A Social Media Strategy

Before you join every social media site that someone tells you about, take a little time to develop a Social Media Marketing Strategy or Action Plan.

Among other things, your Plan should define:Do You Have a Blogging Strategy?

  • What results you want to obtain by using social media for business
  • How much time you can invest in using social media or how much you can budget monthly to outsource your social media marketing activities
  • What information you can share on social media that your target market would be interested in or find helpful

With a little planning and effort, you CAN develop a winning Social Media Strategy that will produce benefits for your business.

If you want help developing a Social Media Action Plan and/or determining which social media sites are best for your specific industry or goals, we can providing consulting and guidance.  Just give us a call or contact us here.

Cheers,
Kimberly