We all know marketing has shifted significantly in the last few years. We are now able to be shown adverts and content 24/7 due to the rise of the smartphone. Businesses have told us in the past that their customers are not going to buy through social media so there is no point in using it in their marketing plans. I’m here to show you why regardless of your customer base, social media should be utilised by all businesses regardless of size or sector, Hootsuite claims that just over half the world’s population uses at least one social media platform; therefore the audience is there waiting for your content!

There are two main reasons for all businesses to use social media:

Brand Awareness

Drive people to their website

But we sell to businesses….

We often get told that our clients only sell to other businesses therefore social media is not relevant. This is not the case. People buy from people. Who are the decision makers in these companies? They are people like you and me who will use social media for personal use, if not also for their businesses if they are already savvy! The more your brand is known the better. Company bosses when making a decision to buy products or services of course will be more inclined to use a brand they are aware of.

Don’t I pay for SEO to get people to see my website?

Search Engine Optimisation is a vital component in your digital marketing armoury however it is not enough to rely on this alone to get your website to the top of the google search results. 

Although Google doesn’t use social media shares for its search engine rankings, a study by CognitiveSEO discovered an equivocal link between social shares and SEO; the shares, likes, and comments your posts receive are vital signals which Google and other search engines use to rank your website.

Content is important

Producing high quality relevant content is vital. To get more people seeing your posts and therefore driving business to you, you need to produce content that will make people notice as well as share with their social circle. Likes are good, however shares are most useful for businesses; the more people share content, the more visibility you will get. Writing blogs and articles as well as sharing other high quality content positions you and your business as knowledgeable and experts in your field.

It is also a good idea to get content generated directly from your followers. If other people are talking about your business this has a much bigger impact than content coming directly from you. Yes, influencers do play a role for certain brands. In life we rely strongly on recommendations from other people and the same is true when we see things on social media platforms; when people are talking about your product or company on social media, you build brand awareness and credibility, and ultimately more sales. 

Why do I need a strategy?

As with any project it’s important to assess the impact of the social media posts. Look back at what worked and what didn’t work. Which posts had the most shares or likes and use this to create more relevant content; essentially, give your followers what they want. 

Not all platforms are the same and therefore it is also important to tailor your content each time. 

Algorithms and trends are constantly changing. By having a strategy in place that is fluid and able to evolve this ensures you are able to keep up with trends and don’t get complacent putting out the same content every week. 

Therefore, don’t see social media as something only useful for marketing to consumers. It has a place in all marketing strategies currently and some form of social media will be around for many years to come.