The Benefits of Social Media for Businesses

In just a few short years, social media has transformed from a digital photo album into a tool with unlimited marketing potential. Whether you run a small mom-and-pop shop, an e-commerce business, or a major corporation, social media has the power to take your business into the stratosphere. If you haven’t created an online presence for your business, you could be missing out on millions of potential interactions and leads.

Brand Awareness

Think about some of the biggest brands in the world—brands like Coca-Cola, Amazon, or Wal-Mart. These businesses have global brand awareness, meaning that the average person almost certainly knows who they are and what they sell. While you may not be trying to reach audiences on the other side of the world, the same concept can be extended to your business. If customers don’t even know your business exists, it’s going to be unlikely that they’ll purchase your product or service.

Sure, you can send out periodic emails or paper flyers via snail mail, but how many of those do you receive every day—and how many do you throw away or delete without even opening them? Social media, on the other hand, is frequented by billions of people on a daily or even hourly basis, and these users always have access to it. It used to be an advertiser’s pipe dream that they could reach their target audience whenever they wanted—with social media, it’s a reality.

Traditional methods of advertising tend to be static and easy to ignore. By contrast, social media platforms offer interactive interfaces that facilitate two-way communication. By creating engaging content, such as posts, polls, contests, or live videos, you can spark conversations, encouraging your followers to interact, share, and stay connected. This not only fosters a loyal community, but also boosts your brand visibility through shares and comments from users.

Fast Customer Service

People have gotten used to getting things quickly, whether it’s a movie on demand or a package delivered the next day. If they have an issue or a question about your brand, they’ll want a response fast. With just email support, you may take longer to respond to customers—and in the time that it takes you to get back to them, they’ve already moved on to another business.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn give your business the chance to interact with customers in real-time. This speed can be crucial in resolving issues promptly, answering queries, or simply acknowledging feedback, helping to build customer trust and satisfaction. It’s a known fact that customers appreciate businesses that are easily reachable on platforms they regularly use. Being present and responsive on social media reduces the barriers to communication and helps foster stronger relationships with your consumer base.

Low-Cost Leads

Sometimes, you must spend money to make money—but with social media, that’s not always the case. Most, if not all, of the major platforms are completely free to use. That means you can set up an account for your business and start interacting with customers right away at absolutely no cost to you. Even if you have the resources for a paid marketing campaign, an organic social media strategy can pay dividends. You can also boost any of your free social media posts for a relatively low cost, especially when compared to many traditional paid digital marketing ads.

It’s also possible to gain more followers using incentives. Many businesses offer customers discounts or other rewards for following them on social media. For many customers, this is a no-brainer: They get a reward for doing something that takes a second and is totally free. The minor discount is quickly outpaced by the organic social media traffic.

Target The Right Audience

When your advertising doesn’t reach the right target audience, it doesn’t matter how good it is; it’s probably not going to work. Part of marketing is finding your target audience and tailoring your content to appeal to them specifically, since these people are the ones most likely to buy something from your business.

How does social media factor into this? Most of the platforms have free tools you can use to track various identifiers, such as location, interests, commonly searched topics, age, gender, and more. This information is indispensable for promoting your business, and social media offers it to you on a silver platter.

Boost Your SEO Rankings

There are a million factors that will influence your search engine optimization (SEO) rankings. While some of them are out of your control, there are plenty of things you can do, from creating content to optimizing your website code. Social media is another tool at your disposal that can help better your search rankings. When your social posts include links to your site, these helpful links show search engine algorithms that your website is credible.

With so many spam accounts and bots on the internet, it’s important to show a search engine that your business’s site is worth showing to its users. Plus, anyone viewing your social media post can easily find a link to your site and visit it immediately, without having to even look for your business on a search engine.

Start Your Social Media Journey with Salem Media Group Today

Now that you know what social media can do for you, it’s time to get started. If you’re not sure where to focus your efforts, how to build a compelling profile, or even which platforms to use, Salem Media Group is here to help. Our team of passionate social media strategists stays at the forefront of all things social media, and we’re proud to share that knowledge with your business. Don’t wait to make your business go viral. Contact us today to schedule a consultation for your business’s social media presence.