15/10/2017

Why is Social Media Marketing so important?

Social Media Marketing

The general consensus around social media is that it’s a global phenomenon that has helped change the way we look at the world. Instead of talking to each other while sitting in a café during lunch we are looking at the screens in the palm of our hands. Instead of communicating through letters and phone calls we are finding more information being spread directly through social media channels. Promotions, product information and news about upcoming events can all be posted at the press of a button. The widespread influence of social media has helped create this bubble for marketers to interact with their customers.

Many businesses use social media effectively and help increase their business’s sales in the process but there are also those who go about it the wrong way. Some followers may feel bombarded with adverts if a business continually posts content that is the same or so many times a day. This not only affects your social presence but it can have a detrimental impact on your business. People may unfollow your account or refuse to buy products from your business if they feel like they are being harassed. Yet there is potential for businesses to grow through social media. So here’s why social media marketing can help improve your business.

  1. Opportunities- Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram or even Pinterest these sites all have the potential to grow your platform. Once you start building a fan base for your account you will have access to hundreds more people than if you were to send out letters locally. The internet is an extensive place with information being shared constantly. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small comment on a blog post, or a like on your Instagram page. If content is being shared across your social media platforms your customers old and new will see this. It all starts with a like and then you have access to hundreds more people.
  2. Increased traffic- If Social Media is used correctly the chances are people will click to follow through to your site. Even if they don’t they might in the future and this increased traffic is what’s going to help your business. As long as your website is of good quality and your exit rate is low then you have no need to worry. Customers will browse through your products and hopefully see something they like. Social media marketing is great to help increase site traffic and drive customers to your website.
  3. Customer insights- You can gain a lot of information about your customers through social media. Customer insights allows you to see how long your clients stay online and when they are likely to do so. Some sites also allow for demographic information. This information is important for you to produce relevant content that is more likely to get increased traffic to your site. Knowing your client base is essential in social media marketing.
  4. Nothing to lose- Social media is a free platform that gains the interest of millions of users. This alone should convince the uncertain business owners because there is nothing to lose. You can gain access to a potential pool of new customers and all it takes is a simple post with promotions for different products. The more engaging a post is the more interaction it will create and this alone can help your business with increased traffic.
  5. Brand recognition- It may sometimes seem like there are thousands of different businesses advertising their products online and that the completion is fierce but simply getting your post out there is a step in the right direction. If your company is seen through social media it will make your business appear more accessible for new customers and more familiar to existing. The top brands in the world utilise social media because they recognise the importance of it. Businesses like Coca Cola, Next, Asda, Tesco and Apple all use social media to promote their products through campaigns targeted at their customers. The use of trending has tags in social media is another story.

Conclusion-
We live in a digital society and the potential for businesses to grow through social media increases every day. The opportunities, increased traffic and potential customer insights is why social media marketing is so important. Sometimes it is the difference between a business failing its monthly targets and achieving them. Forbes have a brilliant article on the Top 10 benefits of social media marketing which is a thoroughly interesting article.