It used to be socially acceptable to share a freshly launched social media page and ask friends and family members to like it.
Now, that doesn’t work. First, it’s not good etiquette. Second, it very rarely gets passed the select friend groups who received the invitation in the first place.
The importance of social media marketing for business requires a fresh approach. And it requires it now. It’s difficult to overstate how important social media marketing is to business when we say this:
Social media marketing is the key to business growth.
And getting in early on a new social media platform is how businesses carve out a larger piece of market share.
As marketing strategies have changed, social media has fallen into the gap left by word of mouth, flyers, radio advertising, and those little ads businesses used to post in the local newspaper.
Social media is where the conversations happen—and when a business wants customers, it wants to be part of those conversations.
Top 3 Reasons Every Business Needs a Social Campaign
There are multiple benefits to embracing social media marketing solutions for businesses. Here are the 3 most compelling reasons business owners need to be on the social bandwagon today.
Social Media Marketing Reaches a Wider Audience
As of July 2022, one global overview showed that there are now 4.7 billion people on social media worldwide. That’s 227 million new users in 12 months, and 431 new users every minute.
The average time users spend on social media has also increased, from 1h 37m in 2021 to 2h 29m in 2022.
For businesses wanting to expand their reach and boost their business’s exposure, there is no tool more effective than social media. In fact, 55% of people discover new brands, products and make purchases through social media.
Social Marketing Builds Customer Engagement
Social media is filled with opportunities for a business to connect with its customers. From posts and comments, to sharing high value content, to offering deals, every social media platform gives business owners an open platform for relationship building.
Marketing in 2022 is about building rapport and having a story—and every business can do these through a strong, well curated, well branded social media presence.
Speaking of branding…
Social media marketing gives businesses the opportunity to improve brand awareness. The key is in understanding the brand’s voice and personality, and for the key stakeholders to have a clear vision of what the brand stands for.
Social Media Improves Conversion
Brands can tell themselves they are in business for many reasons—but first and foremost, businesses are in business to make money.
Fortunately, social media marketing can help with that. Not only is a well-targeted social media marketing campaign more affordable than traditional advertising—a viral post or video can provide free publicity for months.
The biggest financial win for businesses starting out on social media is a simple one: Social media marketing boosts conversion.
It removes some of the key customer objections, eliminates the need for phone calls, and enables consumers to interact with the business via messages and comments.
For others, interacting with the brand removes the uncertainty of something new. For some, reading online reviews and seeing how the brand interacts with other consumers removes doubt.
There are also countless opportunities to see the product or service for sale in action—through posts, videos, customer testimonials, and online conversations. Customers are also six times more likely to buy a product that includes links to social media.
Finally, if the objection is financial, social media gives businesses a place to advertise specials, deals, and one time only offers.
There’s Never Been a Better Time to Start
Exposure to a wider audience, affordability, brand engagement, improved sales—social media marketing isn’t an optional extra for businesses. It’s a necessity.