By Jess Macdonald
Social media has quickly become one of the most important aspects of digital marketing. It is an essential way to reach customers, increase brand awareness, and grow your brand.
Yet despite almost 59% of the world’s population online, many companies are making the decision NOT to invest in a social media strategy because they don’t realise what a huge opportunity it is.
In this article, we sum up our top four no-brainer reasons why your company should be investing in social media as part of your digital marketing strategy.
- It’s budget-friendly
Social media is a cost-effective platform that can be utilised well, no matter your budget.
Whether it’s for advertising, interaction and engagement, or to share resources and content, social media is one of the least expensive ways to market your business.
The beauty of social media is that you don’t have to opt for paid advertising to market your brand, and you can grow your digital presence simply by posting valuable content and interacting with your audience.
Almost all social media platforms enable you to create an account and post content for free.
If you do decide to go down the route of paid advertising, we recommend you start off small and closely monitor your progress. There’s no need to go all out on a hugely expensive advertising campaign when a little goes a long way.
Your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) game needs to be on point, as this is a sure-fire way to succeed amongst the competition. Check out what keywords are trending and how to boost your rankings through a well-thought-out SEO strategy.
Again, this isn’t a huge cost to your business, as many platforms provide free or budget-friendly SEO plugin tools and analytics data.
By investing a little bit of your time, you can increase your company’s return investment.
2. Increase brand awareness
Creating brand awareness isn’t just about catching the attention of potential customers.
You also need to remind your current customers that you exist.
Repeatedly.
With a carefully curated social media strategy, you can significantly increase your brand recognition and spread the word about your company amongst your target audience.
With more than half of the world’s population using social media, platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok are a must for getting a conversation about your brand started.
If you think that social media is only a platform to connect with those that already know about your brand, then think again. 83% of Instagram users say that they discover new brands and products through the platform.
3. You can engage and build relationships
Customers appreciate connecting with a brand and knowing that a real human is behind the screen.
Who doesn’t like to receive a personal message over an automated response? A two-way communication is far more beneficial to both you and your customers, as it enables you to build an authentic relationship.
When you value your customers and take the time to talk to them, it pays off. You’ll build their trust and loyalty. You’ll win them over!
Not only that, but you’ll have your very own walking adverts in the shape of your customers. 92% of consumers say that they trust earned media – which includes recommendations and word of mouth. Build a human relationship with your customers, and they’ll tell their friends about you.
Another way to show your customers that there are real people behind your brand is by SHOWING them the people behind your brand. Run some content that introduces your team to your followers, like Q&A’s, live feeds, podcasts, a day in the life of’s, or social media takeovers.
Regular contests and polls are another way to engage your audience. Lure your customers in and encourage them to share, talk, like, and follow.
Authenticity builds trust, so be authentic!
4. Increase website traffic
Ultimately, you want customers to be clicking through to your website, right? Using social media ads and posts are key to driving traffic through to your page.
Whether it’s sharing great content from your website (like blog posts) on your social channels, or utilising Instagram or Facebook shopping, posting content that gives readers a reason to click through to your website is a sure-fire way to build customer engagement.
The more quality content you share on your socials, the more inbound traffic you will be generating and ultimately making conversion opportunities.
Make sure to include your website address in all your social media profiles, so that it can be easily found and followed with one click.
Final thoughts
You’d have to have been living under a rock not to realise that social media is fast becoming the go-to marketing tool for brands all over the globe. Through a carefully planned social media strategy, your business can go from strength to strength.
You’ll benefit from increased traffic, better SEO, more brand awareness, brand loyalty, happy customers, and much more!
Don’t get left behind and let your competition take your potential customers.
If you’re looking for a hand with your social media strategy, the team at Quick Brown Fox can help. Our social media experts can assist with growing your brand’s social presence, establishing a tone of voice across all relevant platforms, and creating engaging content that promises to pack a powerful punch. Contact us for more details on hello@quickbrownfoxpr.com
