If you’ve so far managed to avoid the social media wave, you probably feel a little out of the loop. Whether you don’t have the time for Facebook or assume that it’s a platform for friends to keep up to date with one another’s lives, here are five reasons why you should consider a change in your approach in 2021.
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Credibility
Firstly, there’s no getting around the fact that consumers research brands on social media. What do you think happens when potential leads type your name and get no results? Most will abandon their search and look for a competitor instead. Even a simple Facebook page builds credibility for the brand. Now, when people type your name into Facebook, they see your business page and you have credibility.
Not only do you generate instant credibility with a social media account, but you also earn it over time with positive reviews. Those searching your brand see that you have a five-star average after dozens of reviews; this tells them that you’re worth more time.
Communication
Once again, this is a two-pronged argument. Firstly, you can keep customers up to date with industry news as well as business updates with simple posts. Got a product launch coming up? Generate excitement with posts on social media. Want to talk about a charity that you’re passionate about? Post on social media. Want to talk about huge industry news? You get the idea.
Secondly, social media is the perfect terminal through which you can communicate and engage with customers. Many years ago, the only options that consumers had to contact a business were either through phone or letter. Then, we welcomed email. Now, customers expect quicker answers, and you can provide them on social media.
When you have a social media account, you’ll get involved in discussions, answer common questions, and help people through the buying journey rather than causing sticking points.
Visibility
If you’re currently working hard to get visibility on search engines, a single social media account will boost your chances many times over. Digital marketing agencies like https://kingkong.co/, have proven the value of visibility within the search engines, so why aren’t more businesses following their lead? As a physical business, you want people to have as many points of contact as possible. If there’s just one link to your website on search engine results, they’re likely to miss it. If there’s a website and a couple of social media pages, your visibility is much higher.
If you type ‘Nike’ into Google, you’ll see that most (if not all!) of the front page is taken by Nike-owned pages. This includes the website, Twitter page, Facebook page, and more. This is what you want to achieve, and well-established social channels will get you there.
Lead Generation and Sales
Many years ago, people would use social media to tell friends what they had for breakfast. Over time, the platforms evolved, and we used them for different things (including getting news). Now, it’s fair to say that social media platforms are used for shopping. As a business, you can even upload a storefront so that leads can buy from your service directly on Instagram and other platforms. Either way, 2021 is the year to use social media for lead generation and sales rather than just posting news updates.
Control
Finally, many businesses feel as though social media allows them a level of control in terms of brand reputation and message. If a negative story is released about the brand, you can comment on it and set people straight. When comments arise from customers, you can thank the positive feedback and address the negative feedback. Either way, you control the narrative (no social media profile can be portrayed as shying away from responsibilities!).
