With 93% of adult internet users signing on, Facebook has surpassed Google and Yahoo in time spent on a single site. Facebook not only satisfies the social needs of users, but also helps professionals promote their businesses and network online. It’s time to join the 80% of marketers at companies with 100+ employees who use social media to build their businesses (according to eMarketer – Aug ’11).
Even with the huge movement toward social media marketing, some business owners still refuse to promote their brand in the new online marketplace. If you have a boss who keeps trying to reach customers the old-fashioned way, present him with the many benefits of marketing his or her business through social media networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. I like to think of social media as a giant networking event with millions in attendance. Don’t get left out of the conversation.
Using social media marketing through sites like Facebook and Twitter gives businesses exposure to an audience of millions. Businesses typically pay a lot of money for print and television advertisements just to reach large groups of people. But once that advertisement or radio campaign is over, your audience is gone too. A social media presence is a long-term asset that grows and grows.
Once you have an account with a social media site, you not only increase brand awareness, but also have a network of business and customer profiles you can use to generate leads for your company. If you sell a product or service to businesses, search for that industry on Facebook and connect with those businesses, making new potential clients. If you sell a product or service to the public, use Facebook to gather users who like your page, generating a network of interested customers. A business owner might also seek customers on YouTube by posting a how-to video or an ad for a product.
Bringing a business to online social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, helps engage customers with your brand. It’s likely that people are talking about your brand whether you’re there to guide the discussion or not! Use Twitter to update existing customers on new promotions and products.
Business owners also use social media sites to get customer feedback and as a tool to provide more interactive customer service. Involving customers in your business with updates, surveys and contests, keeps you on their radars and increases the chances of them sharing your brand with their online friends. You might only have a handful of followers, but if one of those followers shares your message with thousands of fans, and one of those fans shares, well – you get the picture!
With all of these benefits to marketing a business, social media has even the most skeptical of business owners signing on and networking online with the help of social media firms. If your boss views social media as a fad in the business world or an unnecessary tool for marketing his company, use these facts to show him this new business tool is rapidly growing and here to stay.
Connect with a social media firm like Top Tier Media who can help your business grow online.
Great article! We are totally convinced that social media is not only necessary, but a daily part of our regular routine. We use it all – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and now Pinterest. In fact, we are using it to fund our skincare startup on Crowdbackers and having both fun and success with it! http://crowdbackers.com/project/100/Orange-County/Stephanie-Devine/Skincare-Startup (ps – I’m the boss…no convincing needed here!)
That’s so good to hear Stephanie! I wish all business owners were as “on it” as you are!