5 Reasons Your Business Can Succeed with Social Media

Every day, I talk to a new business about the power of social media. Some people get it. Others don’t get it, but understand its importance. And then there are others who are just not sold on it. Today, I am speaking to the later of those of those groups.

According to Time Magazine’s Business and Money section, “If you’re looking for a place to focus your business growth efforts, try social media.” For any business marketer, it is a must for the marketing toolkit. I thought I would take you through the top 5 reasons why you need to include social media in your marketing strategy.

5. Social Media Improves Your Brand Reputation

Your brand reputation is basically what people think about your brand. Social media is the quickest and easiest way to manage your brand’s reputation. The way you write your social media posts, how you interact with your fans/followers, and what you are saying online all contribute to brand management. This is a reason to be on social media but also important to remember when you are engaging with people online. When I think of brand management and social media, I think of customer service. That leads us to our next point (and a great example for both of these steps).

4. Social Media can Improve Your Customer Service

Social media is a great way to improve and showcase your customer service. It gives you new channels to engage customers – either offering new levels of support or giving customers a new way to communicate with you. To some this might be scary. But I think it’s a great thing. Nowadays when someone has a problem with a product or service, they are starting to take their issues online, many people to Twitter. This is a very interesting circumstance. A customer becomes unhappy and complains in front of the masses. This presents an amazing opportunity for companies to show off their customer service to the same masses. What at first looks like a hit to your brand’s reputation, could be a powerful showcase.

3. Customers Buy from Companies They Trust

Social media is about build relationships. Too many people feel that social media is just a way to blast advertisements and messaging to masses of people. That is the not case. It is possible with social, but not the true power of social media. Power comes from when you use social media to create very personal, trusted relationships with individuals. Twitter is a great way to engage with new people and start conversation. Facebook let’s you reach a multitude of people. When you provide good content for these people and build honest relationships, you will truly see the power of social media.

2. Your Customers, Prospects and Competitors Are All Using Social Media

With 1.23 billion users on Facebook, 560 million on Twitter, 400 million on Google+ and 240 million on LinkedIn, I think it is safe to say that there is a multitude of your ideal prospect and current customer base using social media. With 93% of marketers using social media as part of their marketing strategy, you can bet that your competitors are utilizing social as well. So in order to succeed, all you have to do is find your customers and prospects online and be better at social media than your competitors.

1. Social Media is Among the Top Factors in Search Engine Ranking

If you want to seen online, you must first be found. The biggest way to be found is to be among the first returns of search engines. SearchMetrics.com conducts an annual study of the top factors that impact Google Page Rank and 7 of the top 8 factors related to social media. They are all related to how much your audience likes and shares your content, so create great content and engage your audience and you will succeed.

There is great power in social and for businesses that know how to use it effectively. Don’t be afraid. With a little bit of time spent educating yourself and more spent engaging, you are off to a great start.