4 More Reasons Your Business Needs to Market on Social Media

There is no shortage of blogs explaining the importance of Social Media Marketing and Advertising.  Everywhere you turn you are told how crucial Marketing on the Social sites is.  Most marketers agree that it is one of the best ways to grow a business, and they have the statistics to back that up.

Still, some companies just don’t get it.  They cling to their old way of doing business, and are not easily swayed by statistics or real world examples.  They don’t really understand how it works, are a little suspicious of something that started out as a place to rate pretty girls and catch up with high school chums.  They still feel that the only marketing that works is one that bombards people with sales messages.  When they do join social sites, they may hire someone, but soon become upset that the posts are not all about their products and their special offers.  If they do it themselves, they are disillusioned because their overt sales messages don’t get the sales they had hoped for.

While putting up a Facebook Page and posting regularly may not translate to an instant jump in sales, companies that post the right things to the right audience, add a small advertising budget, and actively “listen” to the people on their pages, are seeing their bottom line grow. It may not be overnight, but it does happen.

Still not convinced? Here are 4 more reasons to have a robust Social Media Marketing and Advertising Strategy in place:

1. Social Media Profiles enhance the business/brand image.

Image matters.  Your prospective clients/customers are looking at businesses on Facebook, and will form an opinion of your company based on “social” presence.  A professional and active Social Media presence matters.  It proves that you not only care about your business, but also about your customers.  Posting valuable content on your site can also establish you as an industry leader,

2. Social Media is cost-effective.

Updates, Tweets and Pins have the potential to reach hundreds, thousands (and sometimes millions) of people at a fraction of the cost of print or televised media.  When compared to the cost of ad space in a phone book that may sit in a drawer and be forgotten, an active online presence with posts appearing on a daily basis is a much better option.   Social Media keeps you on the top of potential customers’ minds, and can also grab their attention when they need your service.  Add to that the opportunity for people to share your posts with their friends. This gives you the opportunity to reach an even larger audience.

3. Your Customers and potential Customers are using Social Media.

No matter what your demographic, it is almost certain that your customers and prospective customers are using Social Media.  71% of online adults use the site. (PewNet)

• 87% of 18-29 year olds use Facebook
• 73% of 30 to 49 year olds use Facebook
• 63% of 50 to 64 year olds use Facebook
• 56% of the over 65 population is using Facebook

Facebook and other social media sites give you the opportunity to join the conversation with your customers. Hanging out with them is a great way to keep track of what is being said about you or even starting the conversation to get your business in front of their Friends and Followers.

4. Your competitors are using Social Media to market and advertise.

Facebook has over 40 million business pages on its site.  It’s likely your competitors are using Facebook to showcase their brand and promote their products and services.  Your customers and potential customers are probably interacting with them instead of you, this means that if you aren’t using Social Media you are likely losing business.

While your ROI for Social Media may not be as straightforward traditional marketing and advertising, when tracked over time, it will meet or exceed that of traditional marketing.  It provides a good return on your investment in terms of visibility, branding, warm leads, referral sources as well as sales. It is also a very good way to keep your finger on the pulse of your target markets. Finally, it is one of the best customer service tools available today.