Business Growth with Social Media
The prolific use of the internet, both by businesses and most importantly by prospective customers, is a blessing in that it offers businesses an easy to use, cost effective marketing tool, but can be a curse if one is not willing or able to keep pace with the constant innovations and trends that still go hand-in-hand with the internet revolution.
Aside from having an internet presence in terms of a web site, any company would do well to consider the benefits of social media to grow their business.
Online social media outlets are undoubtedly one of the most important elements of a business’ internet marketing strategy today. Social media refers to a type of web site that is dependent on user-generated content and exists solely to further user participation. Social networking sites, such as Twitter, Biznik, LinkedIn and Facebook, and social bookmarking sites, such as Digg or StumbleUpon, all belong to this category, and can be used to great effect by any company seeking to grow their business. In fact, aside from the investment in time, using these sites can be absolutely free for a business owner to take advantage of, but can afford them huge returns.
Social media sites are hugely popular, free to use, and easy to navigate. If these factors alone are not enough to get a business owner to take advantage of their potential to help grow their business, independent studies have also been performed and have proven the value of social media beyond a shadow of a doubt: 93% of Americans want businesses to have a presence on social media sites, and most believe that they are receiving better service if a company is available to interact with them via their favorite social media outlet. Cone, the Boston based consulting firm who conducted the study, stresses that consumers would like to be able to have a two-way conversation with businesses, something that social media sites allow.
Unlike traditional marketing which focuses on comparing one’s own brand against another and hoping to strike a chord with particular consumers or to even reach them to begin with, social marketing sites level the playing field. Everyone’s profile looks the same, and it’s the content that allows businesses to set themselves apart. The more time and care invested in communicating with the customers, the better the reaction will be. Social media allow a company’s representative to actively search for and pursue their target customers, so time and resources are not wasted on individuals who would never have a need for a business’ particular product or service.
This type of business/client interaction also helps to create a real relationship between the company and the consumer. Social media sites are an excellent way to showcase the mood of your brand, to establish yourself as ‘real’ rather than a ‘big, faceless corporation’, no matter what the true size of your enterprise. They also give a business the opportunity to conduct their own specific type of targeted market research without investing a single additional marketing dollar. Asking customers what they think or which item they prefer not only allows a business to tailor their product to the specific needs and wants of the actual customer they are trying to serve, it empowers the customer as a decision maker, allowing them to feel as if they have a real voice in what happens at your company, thereby increasing their brand loyalty.
Aside from costing nothing and offering a business potential for exponential growth in their customer base, social media sites are very easy to use. Because they are designed to appeal to people in every age group and of any skill-set, any business can easily make use of these sites with minimal effort. Establishing a brand presence on the major social media outlets does not require an IT professional or any network support. No HTML codes need to be written, and you don’t have to be a graphic design genius. All you need is a clear vision of who you are in the market place and what you have to offer your customer. The rest will take care of itself.
