We believe that almost any business can benefit from the
power of social media. The benefits are endless, from building relationships
with your customers to reaching an entirely new audience.
Social media is a growing list of platforms, many of which
you may never have heard of or even realized were considered social media!
There are so many social media channels available that you may not even know how
often you actively use them.
Based on popularity, ease of use and tools - our top choices
are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Of course, not all of these are
relevant to every business, so choose carefully. Depending on your industry, we
may recommend other channels entirely. We always recommend that our customers
choose one to start with, master it, and then move on to the next.
Social media allows you to give better customer service
Social media is just that - social. This allows us to speak
to our friends, family and customers instantly.
If your business provides customer service, Facebook is a
great platform for speaking directly to your customers at no additional cost to
you or them. It even allows you to define automated messages based on the time
your customer contacts you and your opening hours.
Twitter has also become a popular choice for customers to go
directly to businesses for queries and complaints. The lifespan of a tweet is
around 20 minutes and people expect responses very quickly. So if you choose to
use Twitter, be prepared.
The speed is celebrated by social networks, Facebook, for
example, will show visitors to your profile how long they should wait for a
response from you based on previous interactions with customers. Quick response
gives the user a positive impression that you appreciate their requests and
respond in a timely manner. Since Facebook and Instagram are now one and the
same entity, you can easily access your Instagram messages via Facebook and
reply via your sales manager.
Social media helps drive website traffic
When we talk about digital marketing strategies, social
platforms are the perfect way for you to reach new and existing customers in
creative ways. These users may not have visited your website or searched for your
service, but if you encourage them to engage in engaging content, you have the
opportunity to generate interest, bring them to your website, and improve
sales.
Using social media is also a great opportunity to share
links from your websites such as your blogs and special offers. Typically, an
80/20 rule has been used, this means that only 20% of your messages should be
self-promotional while 80% should be informative and useful to your users.
Although it is important to remember that not everything will work for everyone
and that it is essential to test what works for you.
Google and other search engines also promote websites linked
to social networks. If you create a profile and gain solid follow-up, your
social profiles are more likely to appear at the top of search results, which
gives you more dominance.
Customers respond well to a company active on social media,
because it shows that you are interesting, competent and that you care.
Therefore, customers are more likely to visit your website.
You’ll target new audiences
With paid social media now booming on all major platforms,
you can create campaigns to reach more customers. Facebook has the most
effective and detailed targeting tools available on all social media platforms,
allowing you to really refine and identify your ideal customer.
It allows you to show your business style
With the improvement in the quality and speed of the
Internet in recent years, we have seen an increase in the consumption of image
and video content.
While platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn allow
you to post images and videos, Instagram is clearly the winner and it's not
hard to see why. Instagram is mainly images and videos with a short bio introduction
where you can link to your website. Companies that have a specific look or even
a style that they can show can benefit from it and interact with customers who
appreciate it very effectively on Instagram. Those who have a product to sell
will benefit greatly here!
Social media allows you to manage your reputation
More and more of us are using social media to not only speak
directly to businesses but also to talk about them! What better way to show
your love or hatred for the brand than to leave a review on social media,
whether on Tripadvisor, Facebook or Google My Business.
It is both a blessing and a curse for business, your happy
customers are the best word of mouth marketing you can ask for, but too many
bad reviews and you may not want to buy. MarketingDaddies and Alphacore
Technologies, a Pakistan based digital marketing agency, always recommends
responding to all criticism, good and bad, it shows that you are actively
listening to your customers and can also give you the opportunity to advocate
for things that may be wrong.
Tip: never respond to a negative review immediately. Take
the time to calm down and let someone else take a look with you.
FINAL WORDS
We hope that our brief overview made you aware of the value
of creating your business on social networks. When deciding where to focus your
efforts, it is essential to understand who your customers are and what social
media platforms they use and how they use them.
Author Bio: Rana Mubashar is one of the resident editors of Marketing
Daddies and Alphacore Technologies Agency Dublin, a company offering a wide
range of digital marketing services and websites to companies in the UK,
Ireland and mainland Europe. He enjoys sharing his ideas on blogging, web
design, SEO and other forms of digital marketing.
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