3 Ways You Can Market Your Business Using Social Media

 

Let’s be honest. Looking around today you can’t help but notice smart phones literally everywhere. And on those smart phones, social media: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter – You name it, most people have at least one. In fact, if you want some seriously scary ‘this is the world we’re living in’ data, how’s this strike you? There are approximately 7.5 billion people on Earth – of those, 4/7.5 billion (that’s 53%) are on the internet. Of those with internet, 3.2/4 billion = or 80% are ACTIVE social media users. Most of them using a mobile device. So yes, social media – maybe you hate it, but your business and your wallet want you to LOVE IT. And if you love yourself, you’ll learn to at least tolerate it as well.

Let’s jump right in with our tips for success:

  1. Build Awareness – As noted above, most people in the world have a cell phone nowadays. That means that no more are people printing off MapQuest to find your storefront. Instead, they’ll probably do it by clicking on a map they find on one of your responsive pages, guiding them and their money directly to you. Social Media allows for you to have fans and ratings and an incredibly BOOSTED VISIBILITY for little overhead in terms of both time and money.
  2. Communicate Authority – You likely don’t care if you customers are awed by your tech savviness, but I know you care if your tech illiteracy creates a barrier to them giving you money. SO, first step is to prove your expertise. A frequently updated site with relevant and NEW content will not only land you in the early stages of a Google search, but it will land you firmly in the minds of your target audience.
  3. Provide Engagement – One of the things I am consistently impressed with is any company that knows its bosses well… Because the boss is ALWAYS the customer. The best way to get to know anyone is to speak with them regularly. So double check – does your site allow for feedback? Does it have a ‘Chat Now’ option? And don’t always be a consumer of data from your consumers. Give them a little bit of yourself, too. Maybe one day, upload a video letting people see a sneak peak behind the office walls – experiencing your team lunch together with you. Or go Facebook Live sometime, answering questions in real time.Another aspect to engagement is providing support, answering questions, listening to criticism, and making customers feel heard. In many of the social mediums, there is an option to respond to direct messages from customers/clients immediately, even if it is to say ‘Thank you for contacting us. We’ve received your message and will get back to you as soon as we can’. People like to know that their thoughts weren’t lost in cyberspace!

One of the first steps for any business seeking to GROW is building awareness. Your company can’t grow if people don’t know you exist! Always, through remembering that your boss is your customer and always treating them like KINGS AND QUEENS – and that means listening to their thoughts, frustrations, questions and concerns – your business will continue to thrive. Enjoy the ride!