I’m hoping this title was engaging enough! I guess if you’ve gotten this far, it was. Every time I open my Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn feed, I see another article explaining the purpose of social media for businesses. Yet, I meet with clients on a weekly basis who aren’t sure why there business should be involved in social media. Are you one of those business owners? That’s okay if you are. Just let me take a second today to explain to you the importance of social media for your business.
Let’s start with some huge statistics. According to expandedramblings.com, Facebook has roughly 699 million daily active users. And, the average Facebook user has 141.5 friends on Facebook. Now, to understand why these numbers are important, you have to understand the benefit of social media for business. The first number represents your total potential audience. I already know what you’re saying… let’s be realistic. I’m not going to reach 699 million potential customers on a daily basis. You’re right. But, would you want to? This number just represents the massive popularity of social media among consumers. If you could reach a small percentage of this engaged audience, just think what it could do for your business!
So, moving on to the second statistic, “the average Facebook user has 141.5 friends on Facebook”. Are you more likely to do business with a company that you’ve heard of before? Or, more importantly, one that you’ve heard a positive recommendation for from a friend? Of course you are! For example, when I Google ‘Running Shoes Olathe, KS”, I see 10 local stores that offer what I need. Not to mention the large, national stores that appear. But, I know which one I want to choose because I’ve seen my friends who are runners share posts from their favorite local running shoe dealer. What I’m saying is, when you’re actively involved with your customers on Facebook, they are likely to interact with your brand. When they engage with you, this ‘news’ appears in the News Feed of their friends. Now, you’ve got your foot in the door with a potential new customer. Wasn’t that easy?
Okay, this point in the process is where regular, engaging content on your social pages becomes most important. You’ve gained new interest, but you need to convince them that you’re company is the best at what you do. And, that following you will give them all the resources they need to more forward (in my example, running). So, have you shared all the local runs that are coming up? Do you have tips for sticking with their new routine? Have you shared some opportunities to save on the items you know they’re looking for? All of these are great ways to show your audience that you care about what’s important to them, not just selling a product.
Afterall, that’s what this ‘social media for business’ is all about. Creating relationships with your customers. We used to do this by talking to people as we passed them in the street. And, although this art isn’t dead, creating relationships where the people are, on social networks, is a great addition for every companies marketing plan. Here’s the bottom line, if you’re looking for new customers, social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are the place to be.
If you’re interested in discussing how your company can get more involved in building relationships through social media, please take a second to Contact Us. We would love to sit down with you to discuss what social media for your business would look like. If you haven’t yet, take a second to join us on any or all of our social media sites using the links to the right! Do you know someone that should read this? Please take a second to share it!
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