As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate, and social media is another reoccurring task that never goes away. It takes determination to get it done every week, but it’s worth taking the time to be on the social platforms. Why? Because having a presence on social media creates credibility and endless outreach. Keep reading for more benefits of social media for small businesses below.

Position Yourself as An Authority in Your Industry

When people hear about your business for the first time, what’s the first thing they do? They look at your social media and maybe your website. If they find a strong social media presence, they’re going to be more likely to buy from you compared to someone who’s not on social media at all.

Because social media is so huge, people EXPECT to see your business on social media these days. In fact, Statista says over 70% of all people in the US are on social media. You can motivate your prospects, show them how awesome your product is, and provide value. Leveraging social media is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to position yourself as an authority in your industry.

Outreach to People You Would Never Reach Otherwise

Sure, you could pull in traffic with your website IF you have great SEO (search engine optimization) … and that’s a big if. But if you produce steady content on social media, you won’t need to worry about your ranking on Google as much. One way social media can help a business grow is by producing sharable & engageable content. The stuff that starts conversations.

This sort of content is either incredibly valuable or it’s funny/relatable (think memes). If one of your followers shares your posts you reach an audience who never would’ve seen your brand otherwise… and sharing content is endless! The key is to post share-worthy content that gets your audience excited.

Proof Your Business Actually Exists

Have you ever seen a business that has no website, no social media, and no physical location? You would seriously doubt if this business existed. Social media is especially important if you don’t have a brick-and-mortar location because your outreach is 100% online. People aren’t going to drive by or walk into your store.

People simply expect businesses to be on social media. In fact, over 91% of businesses are already using social media marketing according to Review 42. In this case, it’s best to join the crowd.

Customer Service Made Easy

One of the biggest benefits of using social media for small businesses is the easy customer service. Since you’re on the platform already and you have a following, people are bound to ask questions about your products. In fact, according to Smartinsights, 63% of customers expect businesses to offer customer service through social media. Yes, that includes small businesses like yours.

It’s even faster and easier to answer questions though direct messaging than via phone or email. From the customer’s perspective, it’s super personal when they get a response from you, and they’ll trust your business even more.

For larger businesses, there are services that can help merge all messaging from social and websites into one easy-to-use interface. This way your sales or social media team isn’t checking multiple platforms all day!

Show Awesome Reviews from Your Happiest Customers

You can’t control what people say about you behind your back, but you can control which reviews you post on social media. It can be tough to maximize good reviews on some eCommerce platforms; however, there’s one workaround that does wonders for businesses.

Some of your posts should showcase awesome reviews as proof people love your product, but be careful not to do this too often. Diversify your content by doing a mix of good reviews, valuable information, and posts about your products/services.

It’s the Perfect Time for an Influencer Marketing Strategy

If you’re not on social media, you’re missing out on a marketing opportunity that’s helped businesses grow astronomically. It’s influencer marketing. You simply cannot attempt this marketing strategy if you’re not on social media yourself. Influencers aren’t going to take your brand seriously, and you won’t have the social proof for their audience.

As long as the influencer has the same target audience as your business, you could have endless outreach. This is one way some companies seemingly explode overnight.

You Could Advertise on Social Media

Compared to traditional advertising, social media advertising is cheap. Most small businesses get a decent return for their investment too. It’s also much easier to target your audience this way. Why? Because this is how most social media platforms make their money. They want to help small business owners like you make more sales by helping you advertise to the right audience.

Gain Organic Traffic

One of the biggest benefits of social media for small businesses is the organic traffic. Hashtags are one way to increase organic traffic. Hashtags are easy to use, especially when you’re creating a new account. The key is to use only the most relevant hashtags that make sense for your business. When your potential customer searches one of your hashtags, they might follow you or like your content.

You can reach hundreds or thousands of new prospects this way. Remember to post engaging, relevant content for your ideal audience and add the right hashtags for endless organic traffic. Because once that post is up, it’s out there forever.

You should also focus heavily on engagement when your goal is organic traffic. This means replying to all comments and messages promptly, as well as engaging your target audience on other trending posts and pages.

There You Have It!

Social media isn’t such a drag, is it? There are endless possibilities with social media to help your business grow. It’s not a new fad that will fade away in a few years. There’s no better time than right now to start using a social media strategy. Schedule a call with us today to learn how you can leverage social media for your unique business.