“Social Media Is Not For Business” - How This Misconception Is Costing Your Business

It is tempting sometimes to view social media as a youth social club rather than the Chamber of Commerce, but by doing so you’d be missing out on the biggest networking event in the world.

Businesses of all sizes, including your target customers and competitors, are using social media to their advantage to build their brand and connect with their market. If you haven’t yet been persuaded to hop on board with social media, here are some compelling reasons way should do so without delay:

1) Drive more traffic to your website

An active social media presence will help drive more traffic to your website. This is due to a couple of reasons. Firstly, search engines are increasingly using social media mentions when calculating search rankings. Businesses with an active social media following are seen as more popular, and thus as more relevant to a search query. Thus if you are interested in SEO but have yet to engage with social media, you may be missing a trick. Secondly, a lot of people have started using Facebook and Pinterest in the same way as they would a search engine; as the first port of call when finding out about a new company or service. Businesses with an active Facebook presence are more likely to feature in Facebook’s own search results and be found more easily. Visitors to a social media profile are likely to go on to visit your website and hopefully develop into leads.

2) Generate more direct leads

You may find a source of leads coming directly from social media, without passing through your website at all. We’ve had reports from numerous customers who regularly receive enquiries by direct message through Facebook or Twitter, sometimes exceeding messages sent through their actual website.

3) Promote your content

You’ve written an amazing blog, created a nifty new video or designed an eye catching infographic. What is the easiest and cheapest way to reach the widest number of people? Social media! Whenever you create content, tweet all about it and post links to your Facebook profile. It won’t cost you a penny and the potential rewards are immense.

4) Deliver great customer service

Social media has never been a great direct sales tool, but it is a brilliant way of delivering first rate customer service. Customers often turn to Twitter or Facebook if they have questions about a product launch or service query. Engaging with them swiftly establishes your reputation as a service-focused company.

5) Enhance your brand reputation The internet is a double-edged sword, in that both positive and negative content remains there indefinitely. It only takes a single negative review to stand out on your search results like a painful scar. Fortunately, social media offers a solution. While you can’t bury negative comments, you can respond to them. Candid and friendly responses to all feedback will enhance your brand reputation, allow you to put across your side of story, and can even turn critics into friends.

Why you are missing out

The risk you take by not using social media when so many people in your industry are, is to surrender your right to take part in the conversations that shape your market. By not getting involved, you hand the opportunity to your competitors to act as influences and authorities in your industry. By refusing to engage in social media, you are effectively surrendering control of your brand. Every day, countless thousands of business conversations take place through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, where services are reviewed, recommended or critiqued. Having an active social media presence not only helps you become better known among your industry, but also empowers you to act as a defender and advocate for your brand, among both existing and potential customers.

You can also listen to The Digital Prosperity Podcast - on the same topic: Go to iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud or listen below: