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Social media has greatly transformed the business landscape. It is one of the most important aspects of digital marketing, which provides incredible benefits that help reach millions of customers worldwide. With the advent of ‘Social Media’ we found that we could spread the message to a much wider audience it’s clear that social media will continue to be a part of consumers’ daily lives, with smartphones and mobile devices as the main driving force. In 2020, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide reached 145 minutes per day. As it stands, social media statistics show that more than 90% of social media users use mobile devices to access social networks.
Such statistics clearly show the growing trend and reliance of consumers on social media, indicating a clear opportunity for social media marketing opportunities for
businesses worldwide.
Social Media is a ‘ shop window’ to your business. You can virtually show the whole world what you are trying to promote. When Covid-19 struck and we all had to go into lock-down, social media was one of the main ways to communicate with family and friends. Businesses started to interact even more so with customers. At first it was a way to relieve the boredom but also in making sure you had their business at the forefront of your mind so when we did finally come out of lock-down then that business would be high on your agenda to visit or buy online from. One of my favourite pubs ‘The Berwick Inn’ in Berwick, Polegate held a weekly quiz on Facebook. They had a fantastic response from people all over. It also gave them the opportunity to let people know that they would be launching a takeaway/delivery service. During that time they also renovated a couple of spare rooms above the pub and turned them into amazing guest rooms. They also invested in their outside space in time for when we could dine outside again but also set-up a dining igloo/pod which housed up to 6 people.
We all know how easy it is to communicate with a business online these days. 'Social Customer Service' is the new way to communicate and questions or complaints a customer may have. We have so many options available to us. We have Twitter, Facebook you are not already on 'Google My Business' then i suggest you register your business online as soon as possible. 'Google My Business' is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. To help customers find your business, and to tell them your story, you can verify your business and edit your business information. All of these platforms can generate more traffic to your website but also encourage your customers to leave you a review
Ambassador says 71% of consumers who have had a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others. This shows the importance of social media in businesses.
Providing fantastic customer service is likely already a top priority for every business. But along with the two-way communication that social media provides, it also offers a unique opportunity to step up your customer service game and provide instant gratification to your target audience.
WhatsApp, for example, is the most popular channel for customer service on a global front. The numbers say there are more than 1.5 billion monthly active users, sharing more than 60 billion messages every day, a huge amount of on-platform activity.
WhatsApp Business app, launched by Whatsapp enables business users to “interact with customers easily by using tools to automate, sort, and quickly respond to the messages”.
Social media best practices:
You should be prompt in responding to online reviews. Customers share their positive as well as negative feedback over social media. Respond to your social media comments quickly. You need to respond to them as priority else it will affect your brand image
There are several questions you must ask yourself before you plan your social media strategy
What are the channels where my customers are present?
What are the ways to target my audience on those channels?
What are my objectives and the Return on Investment of the social media strategy?
So it is evident that how social media can have an immense impact on your business and can be one of the most powerful marketing channels to reach out to your audience.
In a nutshell, social media helps businesses in three key areas;
Brand building – Social media is one of the most profitable digital marketing platforms that boosts your brand visibility among potential customers, allowing you to reach a bigger audience. By applying a social media customer service strategy, you significantly increase your brand recognition.
Omni channel engagement – Research shows, 60% of US millennials expect consistent experiences when dealing with brands online, in-store, or by phone. Social media strategies boost user engagement across channels in order to engage customers and deliver better omni channel customer experience. (BTW i love that word OMNI. All, all of things)
Business growth – Social interaction between businesses & customers is a growing trend that increases sales and improves brand loyalty. More than 65% of businesses are on social media to increase leads.
Almost 90% of marketers say their social marketing efforts have increased exposure for their business, and 75% say they’ve increased traffic. It an ideal way to create brand awareness and stay in contact with your customers.
Social media platforms are becoming the main source for people to learn more about businesses – latest information about new products, services, advertisements, deals or promotions. Everything your customers and potential customers need to know.
Identify your target audience, their patterns, behaviors and then choose the right social media channels for your business.
Social media is a place to forge connections and bring a voice to your brand. Ensure that your tone is consistent, friendly, and suits your business that you are trying to showcase.
Visual and engaging content is key. To publish relevant, quality content and involve your audience – ask questions, use polls, and host events.
Many businesses are jumping into the Social Media Marketing (SMM) bandwagon as its positive impact on brands and promises profitable success when done properly. Social media marketing techniques target social networks and applications to spread brand awareness.
Social media marketing is perceived as a more targeted type of advertising and therefore it is very effective in creating brand awareness. Social media engagement campaigns produce a lot of shares, generate more views and publicity for your business – all for a one-time cost.
Social media marketing campaigns usually center around:
Establishing a social media presence on major platforms
Creating shareable content and advertorials
Cultivating customer feedback throughout the campaign through surveys and contests
A single person sharing or re-tweeting a message from your company could reach hundreds or even thousands of people for virtually no cost! Businesses that miss out on this with social media strategies that don’t generate engagement are losing a major opportunity.
Setting up a social media presence, building and engaging them effectively with quality content is a big effort. But the biggest benefit you can glean from your investment in social media is to reach out to your potential customers wherever they can be found across the globe.
Social media engagement is positive as the reputation it generates for your brand but on the other hand, a single negative tweet can bring bad publicity overnight, which is difficult to reverse. Below are a few best practices for engaging users.
Keep your brand at the top of the news-feed by posting witty and engaging content regularly.
Images increase the interaction rates so use images.
Try being personal with your audience. Make them feel there are real people behind the brand.
To put this all into practice can be quite daunting for many people. You have a business to run so you want to be with your customers doing what you do best, so you could ask yourself if you have time to do all of this. Well this is what i do! I have 'Social Media Packages' designed to take the pressure off of you, helping your business maximise its online potential. Finding which platforms work best for you, setting you up with an
e-commerce site adding another revenue stream to your business.
For all enquiries or if you just fancy a chat to see what we can do for your business then please do not hesitate in contacting us.
info@purpleboxsocialmedia.co.uk or call me on 07742450881