Social media is growing in stature every single day, and a large number of people have been looking for ways to use social media in promoting their businesses. The odd question that typically crops up is the amount of time an entrepreneur should be investing on social media. The other issue that most people have been asking is, is social media worth it? Social media, when used correctly, can easily be one of the best ways a business can use to grow its brand. With that being said, what are the reasons that any entrepreneur be it one who is starting or one that is already established should use social media?
Better customer service
If a brand wants its customers to see how well they are organised and how well they can offer excellent customers service, all they have to do is provide answers on social networking sites. This is because they can reply to a significant number of comments or complaints simultaneously. Nowadays the first place that anyone will go to voice his or her concerns or comments is on social media making it the easiest way a franchise can bridge the gap with his or her customers. When the client’s care answers the questions well, other clients will also get to see the kind of customer care service that is being offered.
Visibility
Being visible is imperative in any form of business venture. Social media can provide visibility quickly and therefore make the customers notice that the brand does exist. In business, if customers forget that a brand exists they suddenly start flooding to competitors that are visible. In today’s world, if a company is not active on various social media platforms they may end up losing much business.
Reduce overall marketing costs
No one pays to advertise on social media, and that is a huge step in keeping running expenses of the business manageable. Social media helps a business to a large number of people in the shortest time possible. The individuals who are using the platform are the marketing team, and they do not get to be paid for it, unlike T.V and radio. One only needs to share and the advertisement once and by the click of a button many more people will also be able to view the ad.
Creating a Voice
Social media is probably the best way for anyone to display their business personality. The entrepreneur can share behind the scene information about themselves as well as that of their employees. When a business is humanised, it helps the customers connect with the brand and also develop a level of loyalty since they can see whom they are dealing with. Also to be noted is that the clients do not like the sales tone all the time.
Building Loyalty and Trust
Social media allows customers to share their personal stories on the experience they have had with the services being offered. This works the same way as the word-of-mouth marketing that can be effective. When a consumer is satisfied and gives rave reviews on social media, countless others will see the comments and therefore add more business to the brand. This also builds an excellent reputation for the business and that comes with no additional cost.
Conclusion
Social media is certainly the way to go if one is looking to brand their venture and save cost on advertising. However, as effective as social media can be to any business it can also be harmful. This is because, when a person gives the bad business press, the same number of individuals who will have seen the great reviews will also see it and can make some of them doubt the business and the services they provide. All in all, one needs to start slowly, and giving it a few hours every week and them most likely will see a big difference.