Is social media important to your business?

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In short, the answer is an unequivocal and resounding Yes!
People do not only connect with brands they already follow on social media. In fact, 60% of social media users find new brands, products and services every time they access their social media platform of choice.

New customers want to know what your brand values are and how you embrace them when doing business. Your social media content tells them whether you have the best interests of your customers and employees at heart and what the value proposition for them as a potential client might be.

It is important establish your credentials as an expert in your field and as a reliable source of information on topics of interest that not only promote your industry but also align with the client’s needs. Studies have shown that this approach can increase overall awareness of your brand by 20%.

Entertaining and informative posts seen by billions of social media users who access their accounts every day will ensure that yours is the first company they think of when they are ready to do business. It is important to have a flexible and balanced content marketing plan in place.

Sharing regularly updated content from your blog or world class website on social media channels ensures increased website traffic. The key is to avoid being overly promotional, focusing rather on great value. Always ensure that your website address can be found on your social media profiles so that potential clients can access your website quickly and easily.

More people follow brands on social media than they do celebrities, and it is the most inexpensive way to promote your business to at least half the world’s population. Efficient use of social media is an essential part of the process through which a new contact becomes a paying customer, especially as social media, internet and e-commerce tools continue to develop.

Word of mouth and the endorsement of your business by existing clients, as well as people who have large numbers of followers on social media; can boost your credibility and drive your business by up to 50%.

Ask your social media followers what they want, then create content that people will want to read about and to share with others. Create contests motivating users to provide content that you can share. Social media platform engagements are a conversation in progress, where you can interact with your customers and they can identify with your brand.

The analytics tools used by social media platforms allow you to be alert to how the consumer sees your brand, what the competition is doing, what is important to your followers, and give you more insight into the trends developing in your industry. Other tools allow you to target specific groups of people with specific content.

Growing your business today is simply about taking a hands-on approach to how, where and when your customers see your brand.

-Shaun Munn.