Social Media Marketing
Social media has quickly become one of the most important digital marketing channels. Over 4.62 billion people globally use social media, 424 million of which have joined in the past year.
This presents a huge audience for businesses which is why 77% of US small businesses already use social platforms to reach customers and build long-lasting relationships with them.
If you’re still contemplating whether you should tap into social media marketing, read on. We’re looking at the importance of social media marketing for local businesses.
Boosts Search Engine Rankings
Social media presence indirectly influences the factors that impact search rankings. Having a strong community for your brand will let search engines know that you’re offering something of value. One factor that search engines consider is social media following — more specifically, high-quality followers. So, don’t waste time buying bots. Instead, invest some effort in learning how to get more followers on Instagram and other social media channels.
Moreover, social media can drive quality web traffic to your blog. Your targeted audience will amplify the content by sharing it, helping you boost visibility, enhance traffic, and generate backlinks, all of which positively influence your SEO efforts.
Generates Brand Awareness
Social media has an advantage over traditional advertising platforms as it allows you to spread information about your business quickly and cost-efficiently. Your potential customers are already on social media, so it’s time to join them and give them a feasible way to connect with your business. You can reach millions of people with your message and build your brand easily and effectively through social media.
Improves Customer Retention
Social media is an excellent tool for retaining and delighting customers. One way to do this is to establish two-way communication with your customers. Talk to and listen to them so you can create content that resonates with them. This will help you build trust loyalty and provide products and services that customers want to buy.
Additionally, posting high-quality content that adds value to customers will keep your business on top of their minds. As a result, they will likely think of you the next time when they need a product or service you offer.
Generates Leads
Social media promotion is an easy way to improve lead generation and boost conversions because you’re advertising to people who are already interested in what you offer. There are many tactics you can use to boost leads on social media. Consider launching exciting lead magnet offers, sharing social proof, and creating targeted ads with personalized offers.
Less Expensive Than Traditional Advertising
Organic social media marketing is free. You can easily create social media profiles and post content. However, if you want to go the extra mile and promote your content, you can use paid ads to boost exposure.
That being said, even if you pay for advertising on social media it is still cheaper than any other form of advertising available today. For instance, you can expose your content to over 1,000 people for less than $3.
Helps You Understand Your Audience
Social media platforms are excellent tools for aggregating data and defining your target audience. Knowing your audience is critical for any local business success so you can start creating a real connection with the audience and getting measurable results.
By leveraging social media analytics, you can easily create a customer profile based on the key traits of your audience. You’ll learn the basic demographics, age, spending power, stage of life, and challenges. Then, you can use this data to strategize your future content.
Reinforces the Community Focus
Local businesses are usually heavily involved in their communities. Social media marketing allows you to connect with your community on a bigger scale. You can answer each message and comment personally and engage in meaningful conversions. This will show your customers that you understand their problems and make them feel well appreciated and cared for. Also, it will allow you to share your brand voice and message.
Helps You Gain a Competitive Advantage
Thanks to social media, you can keep tabs on your competitors. You can monitor their social media tactics, the products they’re advertising, their campaigns, and the manner of customer interaction. By using this data, you can easily spot what’s working for them and see if you should change anything in terms of your approach. Moreover, monitoring your competitors’ social accounts can ensure your business marketing is on-brand and stands out.
Conclusion
Social media is a great way to reach new audiences for free. By implementing the best strategies, you can effectively promote your local business, boost search engine rankings, increase sales, and improve customer loyalty. Establishing solid social media marketing tactics can take time, but it can go a long way to organic growth.
