Social media is here to stay. It has become a ubiquitous part of modern society and often the main tool to communicate with family and friends.
Because of its popularity and its prominent place in our lives, it serves a special purpose for businesses: being able to use it for research and selling at the same time.
Certainly, a business can survive and prosper without every having a Twitter account, Facebook page, YouTube channel, or Pinterest board. Regardless, there are significant reasons you should invest time, money, or both into your company’s social media presence.
Here are 4 of them:
1. People are talking about you.
You might not like social media, or perhaps you think it’s a fad or just for young people. You might not be on social media, but that’s not stopping people from talking about your company.
I recently signed on a client to manage their Facebook page and Twitter account, and I discovered that people had been talking about their company over a period of months and no one had replied to these tweets. I’ve managed the Twitter account of another client for over 2 years, and people were discussing them and their products for years prior to that.
If conversations exist about your company, why not be a part of them?
2. People need your help.
All over social media, people are asking questions. They want solutions to problems in their lives, they need recommendations, and they try answering questions their friends ask.
The thing is, your company might have those solutions. Perhaps you know of a product or service you can recommend (whether yours or not). You might be able to help them answer their friends’ questions.
If you’re not on social media, how will you be able to help? Helping builds brand loyalty, which of course leads to long-term growth.
3. People don’t want to phone you.
Because social media has become the main communication tool for a majority of consumers, they prefer to use it to talk with the businesses they love. They would rather post on your company’s Facebook wall than write an email. They would rather send you a tweet then pick up the phone.
Being on social media makes you more accessible. Consumers think using social media to get customer service is easier than more traditional ways of communication. If you can make them feel like using your company is more convenient for them, they will find more value in their relationship with you.
4. People are talking to your competition.
You might not be on social media, but your competitor might be, and if they are, your potential customers are interacting with and becoming loyal to them.
Joining social media will allow you to see what your competitors are up to, giving you ideas how you, too, can reach out to these potential customers.
Remember that no matter what reasons you have for not being on social media, your customers are, and they will continue to use it for their consumer goals regardless of whether you want to use it for your business goals.
Is your business already on social media? Which platforms do you use, and how do you use them to connect with others?
