Most businesses venture into social
media marketing expecting to see a big return on investment.
The hope is that new customers will come in droves, and that the benefits and
revenue generation will be huge. However, this is rarely the case. It takes
time to build momentum with social media, and the benefits aren’t always as
obvious as we would like.
If you’re
feeling a bit skeptical about social
media marketing and whether or not it’s worth the effort, following are
some reasons why it may be working better than you realize.
1. Brand Recognition – One of the most powerful
ways to use social media is as a brand-building tool. With social media services, you get to decide how you want to position
your company and what you want people to know about what you do. With
consistent effort and great content, you can build a reputation for your brand
around your company’s values, benefits, and advantages.
2. Community – There is nothing like social media optimization when it comes
to cultivating a community. When your followers become part of your community,
you gain instant access to them. That means you can find out what challenges
they are facing and what they like and don’t like about your offerings. You can
engage in ongoing dialog that can be more valuable than any kind of paid market
research.
3. Repeat Exposure – There is an old
marketing adage that says it takes six to eight exposures to a product before a
customer decides to buy. A clear benefit of social media is repeat exposure with your network. You have the
opportunity to remind them over and over again about what you have to offer,
which can shorten your sales cycles dramatically.
4. Authority – For coaches,
consultants, authors, speakers, and other service-based
businesses, social media can be very powerful in helping you establish
authority in your field—making you the go-to resource for your target audience
to seek out for help. Share great content, answer questions, and serve your
audience, and you will inevitably build loyal fans.
5. Influence – As your following
increases, your influence grows. Having a substantial
social media audience creates a snowball effect that can attract new
customers, media interviews, joint venture partnerships, and all kinds of other
opportunities. It’s a bit like when you see a crowd hovered around something.
You can’t help but want to see what all the fuss is about, so a large audience
will only attract more interest.
6. Website Traffic – Many people don’t realize
that social media marketing services
can be a leading traffic generator. When you share blog posts, videos and other
content from your website, you give your audience a reason to click through and
visit your site. Once there, you have the opportunity to inspire those visitors
to take action by inviting them to sign up for your mailing list, make a
purchase, or call to schedule a free consultation. Install traffic monitoring
service, such as Google Analytics, and if you are committed to your social media
efforts, you will clearly see that social
media services brings traffic. Also, make sure that your visitors receive a
clear call to action when they visit your site so that you can convert that
extra traffic into business opportunities.
7. Ahead of the Curve – Whether you realize it
or not, your prospects and clients are checking to see if you are engaging in
social media. I always find it a bit odd when I’m investigating a potential
service provider online and I can’t locate a social media presence or worse, I
find Facebook pages that haven’t
been updated in months, empty Twitter feeds,
and a clear lack of interest in engaging. Social media isn’t a fad and it’s not
going away. Even if it’s not your top priority, if you stay current with
activity, your prospects will notice.
8. Mindshare with Lurkers – There may be days when
you wonder if anyone is paying attention to your social media networks. But if your efforts are consistent, I
guarantee that more people are paying attention than you realize. Give it time
and you’ll start to understand what’s happening behind the anonymity of the
internet. You will eventually hear from people who say, “I’ve been following
you on Twitter for ages. I love your
posts!”
9. Competitive Advantage – The reality is that most
of your competitors aren’t likely doing a very good job with social media (most
companies aren’t), which gives you the chance to stand out. Also consider the
flip side. If you avoid social media, you leave a big opening that allows your
competitors to capture your audience.
10. Big Wins – While many businesses
large and small are trying to justify the cost and time investment for managing
social media marketing, an important
benefit often gets overlooked: Big Wins. For example, if someone from LinkedIn
connects you with a significant government contract, then that would certainly
qualify as a Big Win. If a major media outlet finds you on Twitter and
interviews you for a national article, then that is also a Big Win—one that you
can’t measure based on revenues directly generated.
Big Wins
don’t happen often, but when they do, they make it all worthwhile. It’s easy to
forget results like these six months down the road you’re trying to assess
whether your social media efforts are paying off. But that one contract you
landed could cover your social media marketing costs for years. And that major
media interview could lead to subsequent interviews and a line item on your
resume that impresses a corporate sponsor three years from now. Never forget to
factor in the Big Wins in social media.
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