As digital marketing has developed over the years, a fundamental part of it for most businesses is social media. It might not seem like it to some, but social media is more than just a trend or a platform that young people use to post silly videos and keep in touch with their friends. When used in the right way, social media can be a driving force behind your digital marketing and ultimately your business growth. In this guide, we’ll be exploring the ways in which social media marketing can be used to help businesses develop and be successful.
What are the best social media platforms for businesses?
Not all social media platforms will work perfectly for all businesses. Some might be more effective than others depending on the type of business you have, the industry you’re in, and the audience you’re trying to reach. However, there are some social media platforms that all businesses should be present on and will likely see at least some benefit from.
Facebook is one of the longest standing social media channels that millions of people of different ages and backgrounds use every day. By giving your business a presence on Facebook you have the opportunity to be a one-stop shop for everything related to your brand. This includes having the option for customers to contact you directly, engaging with organic posts and content you put out there. Whether that’s related to your products/services, your business, or other creative and interesting content you post to capture their interest. Also, alongside organic posting you have the option to run paid ads on Facebook, which can be great for getting clicks through to your products and generating profit.
Now they are under the same umbrella, Instagram can be just as useful as Facebook for sharing organic content that engages your audience. Additionally, there is Instagram Shop, suggested ads, shoppable links, and product tags, which offers so much more to businesses wanting to promote their products and services on a streamlined user interface.
LinkedIn is social media that is specifically designed for businesses. It allows you to network with potential clients and form partnerships with other professionals that will benefit your business and help you grow. There are many beneficial features on LinkedIn for businesses to make the most of and that will ensure they continue developing and improving their marketing and business processes.
YouTube
Depending on the types of products or services that you provide, YouTube can be a great way to increase awareness and engagement with your audience. Video content is becoming more and more prominent and is proving to be one of the best ways to grab an audience’s attention. When you have a YouTube channel you have the freedom to be creative and upload videos on subjects that relate to your brand and will be beneficial to your audience. As your channel grows you can also start to look at potentially working with influencers in your videos and implementing paid advertising.
Benefits of social media for your business growth
Increase brand awareness
As a social media advertising agency, we understand the importance of using these platforms to increase brand awareness. You would be amazed at the impact posts and ads on social media can have on spreading a business name, values, products, and services etc. It’s a powerful tool to have at your disposable and by not having a business profile on the key social media platforms. You’re missing a big opportunity to reach a wider audience and increase your visibility amongst potential customers.
The key thing to keep in mind when posting organically on social media, is that you’re posting the right type of content to engage your audience. Social media is a crowded and competitive place to be for businesses now. Standing out from the rest is essential to making your business known. Get to know what form of content resonates with your audience the most and use it effectively. It could be articles, videos, images, or more that are the most successful for you. In any case, finding out what works and planning your social media strategy accordingly will be hugely beneficial to your brand awareness.
Build a positive reputation
Brand loyalty is invaluable and if you can build a strong social media profile that is full of positive reviews and experiences. It puts you in a better position than your competitors in appealing to new customers. Equally if you want your audience to view you as a thought leader on certain topics relating to your products or services, social media is a great place to establish that reputation. By sharing relevant content on a consistent basis, you will improve your brand’s authority and prove that your business is knowledgeable, approachable, and trustworthy. This isn’t something that can be done overnight, it takes time to build up your social media presence with content and reviews. If you can take the time to do it properly though, you’re sure to see success and growth from it.
Give your business an authentic personality
Customers buy into businesses that aren’t faceless corporations just trying to make money. Social media is the best place to showcase your brand’s personality and demonstrate that you understand the issues facing your audience. Your content on social media should accurately reflect the voice and tone of your business and portray that consistently across all platforms and types of posts you create.
This doesn’t mean you have to be informal and funny if that’s not who your business is or who you want it to be just because social media is perceived as a more informal platform. As long as you find a clear voice and take a stand, audiences will be more likely to engage with you. They want to see businesses that are made up of real people speaking genuinely for the business and its core beliefs.
Grow affordably
Ultimately, even though social media isn’t the place to push sales hard, it’s still a marketing channel, and there are opportunities there to generate leads and turn them into customers. Features like sponsored posts on timelines, videos with call to actions, cross-channel retargeting, and shoppable posts are here to stay and businesses will benefit from using them.
For small businesses that don’t have unlimited budgets, large scale marketing campaigns that require a lot of investment will simply be unrealistic. The great thing about a social media strategy though is that you can get value for your money, no matter how big or small your budget is. You can grow your audience and achieve your goals with paid ads on Facebook and Instagram and post organically to maintain and increase engagement without breaking the bank.
Conclusion
Social media can be invaluable tool in your digital marketing toolbox to ensure sustainable success and growth for businesses when used correctly. If you need support with social media market, speak to the team at Deliver today. We’re a full service digital marketing agency, meaning we specialise in all areas of digital marketing including social media.
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