The Benefits of Social Media Marketing
Published October 14, 2020
It’s Free! (Well, Sort Of)
All social media platforms are free to join. This is great news because there’s a low barrier for you to join in and try things out. But claiming that marketing can be “free” is a little misleading. While you can make a great impact on social media without spending a dime, it also requires a great amount of time. Like building any skill, it takes time, dedication, and consistency to see results from social media.
We focused on growing our Twitter account recently, and it has taken a good amount of time and effort. We went from posting once a week and getting a few thousand impressions per month to getting 60,000+ impressions and 20+ new followers a month. This drastic jump was a direct result of spending more time on the platform. You can get great results without paying, but you have to put in the time!
Your Account is for Your Audience, Not You.
If you’re trying to get results from social media, the first question you should ask is “how can this benefit my audience?” We know social media has unlimited potential benefits for your business. But you won’t see those benefits if nobody finds your content valuable.
Think about what your customers have questions about. If you’re a realtor, give tips on how to maintain a home. If you’re a personal trainer, show people how to do your favorite exercise. Yes, this is giving away your knowledge for free and doesn’t guarantee a sale or new client. This shift in thought is a direct result of social media and is an effective marketing strategy called “content marketing.”
Content Marketing is King
Why would you ever give your valuable knowledge away for free? Simple — others are doing it, so it might as well be your name that comes up on a search than your competitors. Information is so easily accessible today that your customers can find answers to any question they have. So, if you’re the one giving them the answer, they’ll view you as knowledgeable and trustworthy. This is the core idea of content marketing. Make your brand be the one shared between friends and coworkers. (Related reading — Give Advice for Free)
Digital Advertising is Better Than Print
Digital advertising is rapidly growing! Marketers are spending more than ever on social media advertising, with social media ad spend amounting to more than $89 billion in 2019. Not only do you need a social media account to run most digital advertising, it helps that you have a strong one. If a potential customer sees an ad they like, they might click on the profile. If that brand has 10 followers and no recent posts, that will have a negative effect on their perception. Why would they trust an ad from a business that’s only posting ads? Content marketing is a crucial part of any social media presence, even when you’re paying for ads!
Use Social Media for Customer Service
Social media became a natural outlet for customer service in part due to leaving business reviews. Now, customer service is an important part of social media. If you can reply quickly and effectively to customers, it will help everyone. No business is perfect, so it’s better to listen to complaints than ignore them. Not only can you help that customer, but you can prevent it from happening in the future. If you do a great job with your customer, they might share the experience with their friends/followers.
Remember, It Takes Time!
To end the article, we would like to remind you that success takes time. Growth takes more than a few weeks or months! Stay with it and worst-case scenario, if a post sucks, only a few people will see it. If you need help with your social media, send us an email!
