How Can Social Media Help a Business?

Last updated on December 14, 2015

Do you want to increase sales without increasing your advertising budget? Are your SEO rankings lower than they should be? Do you need to improve communication with your customers? Do you want to establish your company as an industry leader? Social media can help—here’s how:

Benefits of Social Media

There are many reasons to start using social media. Some of the biggest benefits include:

Savings

Social media sites are free to use. This allows you to reach thousands of potential customers without spending any extra advertising money.

Increased Brand Recognition

An active social media presence will ensure that potential customers see your company’s name and material frequently. Frequent posts to your account mean that your content will show up in user’s feeds on a regular basis.

Improved Search Engine Rankings

A lot goes into determining search engine rankings, but one important factor is how often other people link to your website. Sharing content on social media makes it incredibly easy for other users to share the content with friends. When they link to your site, your search engine rankings improve organically.

Authority

Sharing content on social media doesn’t just improve search engine rankings—it also increases your authority. Sharing photos, helpful tips, and blog articles about your industry establishes you as an expert in the field and makes it easier for potential customers to trust you.

A Connection With Customers

People prefer to do business with people they know and trust. Social media allows you to engage your customers in a more casual and personal setting than at the office. This humanizes your company and makes customers feel like they are dealing with a real person instead of a faceless corporation.

Implementation

You won’t reap these benefits if you simply sign up for a Facebook account and hope customers start liking your page. Use the following tips to make sure you get all the benefits that are available.

Be Excellent Offline

The first step to success online starts offline. Provide excellent service to your customers and make sure your employees know how much you value them. Happy customers and happy employees will promote your business online for you—for free. People who’ve had great experiences will be happy to tell others about your company and recommend your services when friends ask for advice.

Interact With Customers

Social media should be social. Respond to comments, ask questions, conduct polls that allow customers to voice opinions, thank those who leave positive messages, and respond to complaints quickly and professionally. Interacting with your customers will create a relationship built on trust.

Reward Loyalty

Social media is a great place to offer incentives for loyal customers. Offer a chance to receive a free product to customers who like and share your content or share a discount code that can only be found on your Facebook page.

Share Valuable Content

If you provide content that is helpful or uplifting, social media users will be compelled to share it. Sharing advice and information for free helps customers see your company in a benevolent light and it establishes your company as an authoritative source of industry knowledge, which increases trust and improves your credibility.

Use Each Platform Correctly

You can’t copy and paste everything from your Facebook account straight over to Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. Each site has a different purpose and a different set of rules. Be sure you understand the capabilities and limits of each service and use those that are right for your industry. For example, if your target audience lives in Elkhart, social media services can provide Facebook analytics that allow you to send your message straight to users in that area.

Don’t be afraid of using social media any longer. Harness its power and use it to benefit your company and your customers for years to come.