“Why should I even consider social media in my marketing as a small business?” you may be asking. Well, Here’s a few good reasons:
Improved Social Signals
Improved social signals are a factor in the search engine ranking algorithms. The search engines watch social signals like: shares, likes, comments..etc. Since people are social, it improves your social signals as a business, when they see you engaging with other folks in social media. It sends out signals that you are social. It helps people see and realize that you have a real personality and that you are a real person. It’s just good social signals if you know what I mean?
One danger about digital marketing, is the temptation to sort of hide behind closed doors. Don’t do that. Get out there in social media and experience these improved social signals where people can see you. They will say, “Man, this CEO, and this company, they’re active and I can actually get a response if I send them an instant message.”
Friends, this is so powerful. If somebody sends you a message on Facebook, and you respond to them, even if they’ve never met you, they will be impressed. You know what? They’re just researching your brand. They’re just researching your company, and happen to send out a message to which you respond right away.
That is power, power, powerful.
That is how it used to be. Back in the good ‘ole days, they would pick up the phone and call you and if you answered right away or got back with them right away, they would feel like, “Wow, this business is professional, and they’re ready to talk and do business.” When you do that in social media, it sends a signal that you are social and easy to work with, and easy to deal with. It’s good stuff.
Company Branding
Also another benefit is company branding. Social media helps your company’s brand. You know what the billboards used to do for your company? It used to improve your company’s brand because everywhere people would go, they would see your brand and it would keep you in front of mind. Well, social media can have the same effect. It’s good for company branding which is improved brand awareness.
The more you’re active in social media, the more likes, followers, tweets, and shares that you get, the more your brand awareness increases.
Word Of Mouth Advertising
Social media helps word of mouth advertising. It’s very, very easy to share a good experience with somebody else on social media because most people are on Facebook all the time, right? People check into Facebook, or other social channels, multiple times throughout the day. Really all they have to do is just type into their keyboard, and share a good experience that they had at their dental clinic, or with their chiropractor, or the HVAC repairman that came out to their house. Then boom, right there on their Facebook is their little testimony for all their friends to see. Or maybe on your Facebook page they write and say, “You did an awesome job at my house today.” All of this helps with word of mouth advertising.
Increased Customer Loyalty
Do you want people to trust you in business? Do you want them to trust you enough to let you come into their house and perform a service? Or trust you enough to come in to your office and give you their money so that you can work on their teeth or their back? Or maybe to come back to your law firm over and over again, or whatever it is that you do? Well, another way that social media can benefit your company is by increasing customer loyalty and trust. You want them to trust you, right?
The way that you engage with people socially, increases their trust, and it also can increase their loyalty. If you engage in social media properly, then you can keep the customers that you do have coming back for more.
Social Media Tips
We’re getting new social media platforms nearly every month.
- Facebook is the conquering giant, at this point in time, for social media.
- Then you have Google+ which is rising and is an incredibly powerful tool.
- Twitter is still kind of back there floating around in the background.
- YouTube is social media.
- Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, Blogger, on and on it goes
What I want to say is this. Do not hang your hat on one particular site in social media. Use it as a tool to reach more customers and clients and engage with them, but do not hang your entire marketing hat on social media.
You need to have a solid foundation which you own. The very best way to do this is to have your own website.
The reason I’m saying this is because I’ve heard a lot of people say, “Well, I just do Facebook,” or “all you need to do is Facebook”. I disagree, however. I believe that is wrong. You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket like Facebook. Why? Because, Facebook could pull the plug tomorrow. They could find some way that you violated their terms of service and completely wipe you off the map. You can spend 3 years building your entire business on Facebook, and then tomorrow be out of business. It has happened many times to folks.
Use social media as a tool to reach out and reach customers and prospects and interact with them, but do not hang your hat on just one. Use social media. Use them wisely and then go from there.
So, my recommendation is to pick one or two social platforms, or are at the most three, and stick with them and just work with it.
I needed to establish that basis before we get going in how to use social media. Social media is great, it’s important, but it needs to be in the context of a larger marketing plan.
Social Media Has Reached Middle Age
The fastest growing segment of social media users right now are adults aged 45 to 54. What does that tell us? What does that mean when you, as a local business, are thinking about using social media? It means that the baby boomers and the older age group is the fastest growing segment on social media. They’re clicking in. They’re signing up. They’re getting on board. So you need to think about that as you begin to strategize about using social media in your marketing.
The Social CEO
Look at these 2 stats.
80-85% of buyers say they trust a company more when its CEO and senior leadership team is active in social media.
75-80% of buyers are more likely to buy from a company if the CEO uses social media.
Why am I telling you this? I’m telling you this because it’s very easy for you, as a business owner, to pawn this off on your newest hire. The young girl that’s working for you part time. You pawn off the social media to her thinking, “Yeah, I need to be on social media, so I’m going to have her do all that.” Well, look again at these numbers, 80-85% of buyers trust a company more when their CEO is active on social media. 75-80% are more likely to buy from a company if its CEO uses social media.
Let me encourage you business owners to get on Facebook, Google+ and maybe Twitter and start using it as a real person. Bring your personality in to it. I know you don’t like to be out there. You’re like me, you’re an entrepreneur. You are a business person. You want to grow something and let other people pull all the strings, and do the different tasks that are required in business. You have the vision, which is very necessary to grow your business.
But I want to encourage you as a business owner to get out there and bring your personality to the front. In other words, you don’t have to be doing all the research. You don’t have to be doing all the writing. But bring your personality out there, and let the people see that you are a real person. This will be very, very powerful for your business.
Do it. Take my word for it. Take the above statistics for it. Bring your personality out and start engaging with the public, and watch what happens in your business. In fact, you’re going to start having fun and your team will start accusing you of ‘all play and no work,’ but that’s another story. Anyway, just get involved as a CEO on social media, and watch what happens.
Those are some far reaching and some very good benefits as to the reason why you should begin engaging in social media.
Do you need help starting your social media marketing campaign? We would be glad to help. Ask us.