Don’t believe that a social media strategy is important for small and medium-sized businesses? Research conducted earlier this year found that social media influenced nearly half of millennials’ buying decisions. We can only expect that number to grow as social media become a bigger part of our daily lives.
Though social media are a crucial component of a marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes, they are more than just advertisements for your brand. They provide a platform for engaging with customers and members of your local community in a way that didn’t exist just a few years ago. From sharing exciting things happening at your company to soliciting feedback from users, social media provide a way to start conversations and build a community online.
They are also a useful way to establish your brand as a trusted voice in the community. By acting as a resource for information in your sphere of service, your brand can stand out as an expert in the field. Social media provide an opportunity to demonstrate your brand’s expertise by providing useful information about trends or by answering common questions related to the kinds of services your company provides.
Businesses can be a voice for the community
Small and medium-sized businesses play an important role in towns and cities of all sizes. Most likely your brand is already involved in a number of local events and initiatives. Whether their role involves cosponsoring summer picnics or hosting other community events, businesses can develop relationships with various groups in their communities. Social media offer a great way to promote these causes and to keep your community up to date on important events and issues. Think of ways to help your partners by promoting their initiatives via social media.
A chance to share important information
The Internet was built to exchange information and expertise. Your brand’s social media page is a great place to share both of these. Who better to share lawn tips than a landscaping business? Who knows more about winterizing pipes than a plumbing business? By keeping your community informed throughout the year, you can help build a reputation for your brand as an authoritative source of information and advice in your community. This approach demonstrates both the competence of the professionals who make up your team and your brand’s genuine concern for its neighbors.
Remember to keep things fresh
Social media are an ongoing responsibility. This is the trickiest part of developing an effective strategy. Don’t forget to update regularly and to respond to feedback. When users post a question or offer feedback, they expect a timely and thoughtful response. Social media are not just another advertising platform; they provide a way to start a conversation.
Though inexpensive, social media take considerable work and commitment, so it is a good idea to designate someone to manage your brand’s social media platforms. It is important to choose someone who can moderate conversations and promote engagement and who know how to ask the right questions or encourage people to post photos and stories.
As users become more and more enmeshed in the online world, they are seeing the Internet and social media as indispensable tools for finding information about local services and making informed buying decisions. For that reason, businesses big and small are finding success by joining ever-growing social media platforms as a new way to keep up with customers and the local community.
If your brand is ready for a new approach to social media, call SRJ for a free consultation. SRJ Marketing Communications has the experience needed to help small and medium-sized businesses develop effective social media strategies that encourage engagement and spark conversation. To learn more about how your business can benefit, call SRJ at 214-528-5775 for a free consultation.
