Did you work for (or own) a business before social media arrived on the scene? It really wasn’t all that long ago. If you did, then you remember how businesses once relied upon other options – such as cold-calling, tradeshow booths, or printed ads – when it came to handling their marketing and communications.
Before business social media came about, brands handled their limited options as well as they could. However, most organizations suffered to some extent from the effects of their narrow reach, primarily in the forms of decreased lead generation and revenue.
Now, let’s fast-forward to more recent years. Many companies, regardless of size and industry, have either embraced – or at least begun to embrace – business social media as part of their overall marketing and brand communication strategies.
Business social media is no longer perceived as a “shiny object,” or a passing fad. Instead, social media communication and marketing have become “must-dos” for all brands that are serious about boosting their presence online.
In a recent article for Ironpaper, a company which helps organizations grow and thrive in a digital world, the author compiled a terrific list of social media statistics.
These stats include the following about business social media, helping further prove social media’s benefits for brands including it within their marketing and brand communication strategies:
- 54% of B2B marketers have generated leads from social media. – CMO
- 60% of all social media traffic to B2B websites comes from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. – SteamFeed
- For online retailers, Pinterest (24.8%) and Facebook (24.2%) drive the highest share of social revenue. – AddShoppers
- When people follow a brand on Twitter, 72% are more likely to make a future purchase from that brand. – Twitter
One of my favorite sayings is, “numbers don’t lie.” With percentages like these, it’s easy to see that the numbers are increasing favorably for brands. Wouldn’t you agree that now is a great time for brands to include business social media as a tool, along with their other marketing and communication strategies (if they haven’t already)?
Here are 3 main reasons why business social media is a non-negotiable component of your organization’s strategy for your marketing, brand communications, and online presence:
1) Business social media offers the same opportunity for brand visibility, no matter what your organization’s size.
Social media certainly helps level the playing field for brands of all sizes. Business social media offers every organization the exact same opportunity to build and maintain social media platforms. Each brand, regardless of size or revenue, is provided with the same amount of online space, along with the same options, to use relevant and effective keywords, verbiage, and/or advertising for reaching their audiences online.
Business social media platforms provide your organization with one of the most efficient marketing and communications methods by allowing you to easily showcase your brand and offerings online. Even better? Business social media is an effective way to increase your business’ online presence without breaking the bank. This is especially good news for smaller brands with limited marketing budgets.
2) Social media allows organizations to “hear” what people are saying about them online
Social media communication can be invaluable for brands using it to listen online, rather than just for broadcasting all the time. Listening allows your business to learn first-hand about those things which really matter to your audience and potential clients. This knowledge then gives you the chance to take appropriate action and “wow” them.
When brands remember that social media communication requires both engaging with and listening to their audience, they are more likely to gain their trust and loyalty. As brands focus on building real relationships with people, they may end up closing more business than they would have through sales alone.
3) Social media boosts your brand’s online presence, which in turn boosts your brand’s presence overall.
Without a doubt, business social media continues to help organizations bolster their online presence every day. Did you know that using social media also helps with your brand’s presence offline? Percentages vary (I’ve seen as high as 97% in a few places), but it’s definitely a large percentage of consumers who research potential purchases online before making their final buying decisions. They go online to learn more about your brand, what you offer, and how much value you provide over your competitors. If you want to attract these potential clients, then it’s important that you strengthen your online presence through building and maintaining your business social media platforms.
Is your business ready to add social media to its marketing mix and enhance your brand’s marketing and communication strategies? Feel free to leave a comment below – I would love to hear your thoughts.
Read more: How Nestlé Munch Created A Social Media Presence For Balakrishnan Vaali