Here’s an experiment: Think of the three businesses closest to where you are, and search for them online. How many of them had a social media presence?
These days, a business without a Facebook or Twitter account is the exception, not the rule. But there are far better arguments for being on social media than “everyone else is doing it.”
Besides, not everybody is doing it the right way. That’s why we’ve decided to share a few reasons why being on social media is important for your company, as well as some ways to use social media to connect with your prospective customers.
So, first off, why should you use social media?
- It builds your brand. Every social media network you use gives you a new channel to share the content you create.
- It makes your customers more loyal. Studies have shown that people who follow a company on social media tend to be more loyal to that brand.
- Every time you post something, you’ve giving customers another chance to convert. Studies have shown that social media has a drastically higher lead-to-close rate when compared to outbound marketing.
- You’ll drive traffic back to your website. Every piece of content you share is another path back to your site. More traffic means more leads, and more leads give you more customers.
This doesn’t mean your company can send out one-way updates to Facebook a few times a week and start waiting for customers to come calling. Proper social media marketing requires businesses to have conversations with their audience. Here’s why that’s important:
Connection
When you start a dialogue with your customers, you can respond to their complaints and answer their questions, which helps humanize your account and build your authority.
Imagine a customer has a bad experience with your business and posts about it on Twitter. You can respond to their complaint and quickly take action to resolve the issue. If a customer gives you a compliment, you can thank them and recommend other products or services. This is another way to show customers that you value them.
Don’t hesitate to share content that isn’t yours if it’s engaging for your readers. Your aim is to inform and please them. It’s fine to share some material that highlights your business, but stick to the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80 percent of what you share should educate or entertain your audience.
Make sure to be consistent. When a company goes months without posting, it might seem to fans as if that company is no longer in business.
Personality
Being friendly and helpful on social media can humanize your company, but social media can also personalize your business. You can post photos and videos that give people a glimpse of life inside your company, or that display a sense of humor.
Customers, whether other businesses or individual consumers, are often looking for more than a product that ticks the necessary box. They prefer a company they click with, especially if they are planning on signing up for an ongoing transaction or long-term relationship.
Insight
Social media lets you know what customers are thinking. When people are on Facebook or Twitter, they’re not afraid to share their opinions, whether it’s about politics, movies, sports… or your company.
Keeping track of these conversations is an ideal way to find out what’s working for your company, and what things you might want to change.