Why is a social media presence important for business?

The social media phenomenon has rapidly turned into a key part of the modern marketing mix. A flexible presence on not only Facebook and Twitter but other platforms, is a must for any business. What better proof than 1.04 billion daily active users on Facebook and over 1.3 billion registered accounts on Twitter?  For companies looking for greater exposure it is a strategic miss if they lack social profiles in platforms such as LinkedIn, Pinterest and Reddit.

The 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report identifies the role of social media in todays business, and why a businesses presence is so important:

• 96% of businesses are using social media to market themselves; with 92% of them saying that it was important to their business.
• With as little as 6 hours per week, the vast majority of marketers (91%) indicated their social media efforts increased exposure for their businesses.
• A significant 81% of participants found that increased traffic occurred with as little as 6 hours per week invested in social media marketing.
• Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram are the top seven platforms used by marketers, with Facebook leading the pack

1. Brand Presence

A strong media presence is essential for showcasing your business and is a proven effective way of building upon your company’s reputation. By having a regular brand presence, for over a year, on social platforms, 64% of businesses claimed it had been influential in building a ‘fan’ base.

By defining your business objectives, you are able to successfully manage your image on multiple different networks. Social media can act as a relationship-building opportunity that is virtually limitless in size and from a marketing perspective it is the best chance to create a community of customers.

2. Exposure

In order for your presence to be felt among the millions of other sites on Google, your social influence is essential. Massive exposure can be gained through the available worldwide access to Social Media and the consequent vast number of users.  It offers the opportunity for unrestricted marketing within the digital marketplace and thus, removes the cost of traditional forms. Not only are you building new networks through this platform but your presence will allow you image to be widely distributed.

3. Customer Service

The customer service side of social media is essential for kick-starting your sale results. Through these channels you are able to respond personally to specific requirements or questions, and the prompt timeframe of social media can often result in prospects turning into customers. Not only can it work towards an increase in sales, but it can help toward transforming negative customer’s experiences into a positive outcome for your business.

Social media helps you easily discover your customers’ preferences so that you can: focus on meeting their special needs and expectations, gain proficiency in that exact niche, excel your product list, and research your competitors.

4. Traffic

If you are keen to increase the traffic to your website then social media is a perfect generator for high volumes. The more you participate in the social-sphere, the more traffic will be directed your way – as search engines such as Google, love social media giants. They often allow live tweets to be available in their engine, alongside Facebook business profiles. Businesses can easily use this to their advantage by using trigger words and the all-important ‘#’ on Twitter.

5. Marketing

Marketing costs can be hugely cut through social media marketing and makes it easy to brand your business in an affordable way. As this form of marketing continues to grow, it has marginalised more traditional approaches, and therefore allows your advertising to grow exponentially without a huge amount of money and time. It is imperative for businesses to create a buzz on digital platforms and those taking full advantage of this are reaping the rewards.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve been introduced to the basics, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. But if you need any more tips on best practice on social media, don’t hesitate to get in touch or fire us a tweet.

We’ve also compiled this handy guide on social media marketing for SMEs, which you can download for free below: