What should your business be doing with social media?
Should your business be on social media? To answer this question, simply ask – are your customers on social media?
The answer is likely a yes, considering how many folks use social media these days. Virtually everyone, every business and organization, and even dogs have an account on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or some other site. Odds are good that most of your customers already use one or more of the many social media networks. This means that unless your business is making the most of its social media opportunities, then you’re probably not maximizing your marketing potential.
Social media marketing has many benefits. First of all, it’s free. Most social media platforms don’t charge money to activate, access, or post. The advertisements, specials, and other promotions your business can run on social media will reach both existing customers whom you have already engaged, as well as their friends with similar interests who are potential new customers – social media marketing is viral in nature. With social media you can reach a large customer audience (Facebook alone has over a billion users).
Paid advertisements on social media obviously cost money, but they also offer “geo-targeting,” which works within the social media to direct your message to the most relevant audiences. This means paid social media ads can offer a better return on investment than many other ad mediums.
Publishing on social media can be done almost instantly, so you don’t have to wait for the turnaround and production time that other media may require.
Your business can increase traffic to its website by using social media to direct customers there. If you do not yet have a website, a social media page can serve as your business’s online presence until you get a site up and running.
Social media also allows you to better interact with and understand both your customers and other businesses. You’ll be able to see what your markets are up to, based on their posts and comments. You’ll also be able to communicate directly with your audience, since customers will be able to message you and post on your business’s wall. This allows for new channels of customer service.
Of course, just because most social media is “free” doesn’t mean it comes entirely without cost. An effective social media page takes time and effort to be managed. Accounts must be checked several times a day to make sure your business is maintaining the presence it wants.
Since social media can be published quickly, it also means most messages have a short shelf life before they’re buried at the bottom of everyone’s news feeds. Social media must be updated regularly to stay fresh to your audience. Customers expect a quick response when they message you or post on your wall. Your business must also be prepared to account for and mitigate negative comments if they are posted on your wall. A poorly maintained social media account can look bad in the eyes of customers and hurt a business’s reputation.
Often, a business may not have the social media savvy it takes to build a quality presence, or they may not be able to afford the time and effort that social media requires. That’s where O2 Creative comes into play. We’re experienced with all kinds of social media for all kinds of businesses. We can offer advice and consulting on better social media practices, or we can even manage accounts for businesses. We’ll help your business utilize social media to its maximum potential, and get you better connected with your market.