Social media has become impossible to escape. For individuals, it’s an effective tool for sharing personal events, from milestones to selfies, to maintain ties with friends we’d otherwise not have time to see with our busy schedules. For companies, it’s a way to promote products and services through compelling, creative content. While there are many challenges in the beginning, building a solid social media profile, whether on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, can help companies jumpstart their marketing and eventually gain clients. Here are five reasons to invest in a good social media presence:
Social media establishes brand personality
One integral part of setting up a business is establishing the characteristics that set your product or service apart from competitors. Through social media, your company can communicate these characteristics through compelling visuals that deliver more of an impact than explaining it in a letter. A picture paints a thousand words, as the saying goes. While it may sound frivolous at first, deciding on a brand color palette, a social media communications strategy, and creating original images that relay your brand’s message builds not just a pretty page, but also a personality that your clients and followers can relate to.
Social media encourages feedback
The feedback chain has had its struggles in the past. Emails get overlooked. People forget to reply through text. Letters get lost in the mail. Social media’s important role comes in precisely because there are so many channels through which to communicate. What a Facebook or Instagram page does is create a platform for your followers to inquire about your brand, and a quick and easy means for your company to quickly revert. Strengthening your feedback habits is an essential part of building rapport with your customers.
Social media gives you reach
When done right, social media is an excellent tool for getting your business off the ground, or even announcing a re-branding. Companies obsess over creating viral content to attract the attention of more people, but that’s only one of the multiple avenues your company can explore to get views. Consistency is key. Posting regular quality content encourages habit among your followers as well as alerts algorithms that your page active. Social media also gives you the means to grow your following, whether organically or otherwise, to reach audiences that you wouldn’t otherwise reach by just existing in your city.
Social media saves you money in the long-term
Whether you hire a social media company or decide DIY, building your social media page will, in the long run, allow you to do things such as launch products, make announcements, or even mount entire campaigns for less money. Posting on your own page is free, but it travels quickly and reaches farther than any physical event ever could. All you need is a decent social media following composed of loyal fans and that tiny share button. It’s organic, it’s free and it gets the word out efficiently.
Social media puts you in the game
Almost all companies have social media accounts and it has been added to the many factors that result in customer decision-making. It’s a measure of credibility, brand loyalty and tech-savviness — things that clients and customers who are in-the-know value in a brand. Oftentimes, they would even ask for your social media numbers to evaluate your brand engagement, your consistency, and your commitment to staying relevant.