What are the Benefits of Social Media for Small Businesses?

People Using Social Media on Phones

Over the last twenty years, the rise of social media has been nothing short of meteoric. Billions of people across the globe now use various social media sites, for both business and pleasure. Even pets have their own Instagram and Facebook accounts! Thanks to this widespread popularity of social media sites, even the smallest businesses can benefit from using this highly effective virtual tool to promote their products and services.

If you are considering investing in social media accounts for your own company and want to find out more about the advantages of social media marketing for small businesses, read on. We have put together a list of some of the many benefits of social media for small businesses, so you can see how social media campaigns can increase your sales and help you connect with your target audience.

Why small businesses need social media

When it comes to the use of social media for small businesses, there are so many solid reasons to opt for this form of marketing. Here are just a few of the best!

1. Spreads awareness of your brand and services

Thanks to its ever-increasing global usage, social media has become one of the easiest ways to grow brand awareness. Creating social media accounts for your business will help you reach a large audience very quickly, helping more people to discover your brand. Did you know that a whopping 83% of Instagram users discover new products via this social media site? And that’s just one platform! Imagine how much outreach your small business will gain from a handful of social media accounts.

Plus, many people now expect reputable businesses to have an active social media presence. So, if you don’t have one, it could actually reflect poorly on your brand.

2. Cheaper than traditional advertising methods

Another one of the main advantages of social media for small businesses is how much cheaper it is than traditional methods such as newspaper ads, billboards and radio advertisements. However, you need to be smart about your social media advertising and make sure that you craft an effective campaign. Otherwise, you could end up wasting money.

The most effective way to advertise on social media sites is by hiring professionals to do it for you! Using a social media agency for small business is an obvious approach and will ensure that a properly structured campaign is launched on your behalf.

3. Makes sharing content much faster and more effective

Once your social media accounts have been set up, it’s a piece of cake to share content, such as blog posts from your website. Be sure to include links in every post to help drive traffic back to your site. You can also make the most of handy tools such as UTM tracking tags, which can be used to compile data on the number of click-throughs you receive. This way, you’ll be able to see which content is most effective and then structure your social media campaign accordingly.

Social media also makes it easier to communicate with your audience on a daily basis, which is essential for growing a positive reputation and generating a solid customer base.

4. Improves sales

Social selling – i.e. using social media to boost your sales – is becoming a highly effective business tool that’s bringing in healthy profits for many brands. With so many people using social media to discover new businesses and products, it goes without saying that having a social media presence will help attract more prospective customers. Once you’ve piqued their interest and built a rapport, this will no doubt lead to an increase in conversion rates.

As well as using social media ads and sharing branded content to help drive sales, you could also consider investing in an influencer partnership. Finding a popular influencer who would be interested in promoting your products is a great way of spreading your brand awareness. Plus, it could result in some impressive sales too!

Influencers can be a real boon for small businesses. Many of them already have large numbers of followers, bringing you an instant audience of thousands of people. In addition, influencers have already established a bond of trust with their followers, which means that any products they rave about are likely to receive a positive response from the people who watch their content.

5. Gives you a better understanding of your audience

Arguably, one of the most important reasons why small businesses need social media is to help gain a more in-depth understanding of who your audience is and what they really want. There are various ways you can achieve this, including monitoring data from UTM tracking tags and actively asking your social media followers what they are interested in.

You can also use social media monitoring to keep an eye on what people are saying about your business. Keeping abreast of public opinion is incredibly useful and can help you address any negative experiences your customers may have had previously. You can also reach out to anyone who has posted a positive review to express your gratitude. Consumers appreciate businesses with an active social media presence, who respond quickly to online messages and posts.

Launch your social media marketing campaign today

Now you know why social media marketing for small businesses is so important, it’s time to get your own social media business accounts up and running! Here at Rapport Digital, we assist accountants and accounting firms with social media services that complement your content marketing, SEO and PPC strategies. We also offer a full graphic design service to take care of your brand’s image on social.

We have plenty of experience in managing social media accounts and helping you cultivate and nurture a strong rapport with your potential customers. Keen to find out more? Don’t hesitate to get in touch and find out more about how we can help your accountancy firm get its social media campaigns up and running!

Feeling inspired?

If you’d like to discuss how to improve the ways in which your business does social media, or get some help to do it better, please get in touch at:

hello@rapportdigital.com