REASONS TO BE ACTIVE IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is no longer “new” media. It’s been around awhile and the businesses that have embraced it from the start are way ahead of those that saw it as merely another fad that would eventually die out and are now struggling to catch up. Clearly, social media is here to stay and in fact has become a daily part of nearly everyone’s life. Millions of people are active on at least one social networking site and many check in on their social profiles more than once a day.
Obviously, it’s where marketers need to be but simply being there isn’t enough. With social media, you get out of it what you put into it. If your page is inactive, obviously you can’t expect any results. The key is to update a social page frequently and engage in a conversation with fans and followers.
Here’s why an active social media presence is so important for your business:
TRAFFIC GENERATION
While it’s great to get social media followers, the ultimate goal of a social media marketing campaign should be to drive traffic to your business website. That’s why it’s so important to have the right social media followers, ones that are actually interested in the products or services that you offer. Thousands upon thousands of followers don’t mean much if they never take action and visit your website or blog to learn more. In other words, the number of followers doesn’t matter as much as the quality of your followers. Also, your social media profiles need to be engaging enough to encourage people to click on your website.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
You can also use social media as a way to generate PR for your company. When most people use social sites, they appreciate how quickly they can receive current news on all their favorite brands. In other words, social media provides information in real time and has become a primary source of news. While it shouldn’t necessarily replace traditional PR or submitting online press releases, it’s another avenue to share information about your business and interact with members of the press.
BRAND BUILDING
Active social media profiles can help build your brand. Every industry is competitive online today. The businesses that will find the most success are the ones that are transparent and willing to share information with target audience members in order to become a trusted source. Social media gives the opportunity to share such information and connect with potential clients or customers in order to give them a positive view of your business and brand. This will get your business in front of the right people, which over time will help you build a much stronger brand.
CREDIBILITY
Even if your target market isn’t active on social media, it’s important to have the accounts in place to increase your credibility. If someone wants to hire you or use your products, they’ll likely visit the social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin to gather information about the company. Customers also need to see if you practice what you preach as a company. Your social media activity makes your business look current and active, which will help bring in more business over the long term.
