Do I really need social media for my business?

Zanthe Martinuzzi is the digital marketing manager at Arc Interactive. Today she aims to answer popular questions on many business owners minds. Do I really need social media marketing for my business? Can it make me any money? Is it an effective way to communicate with my customers? Find out now

You might be thinking “I don’t care about social media - heck I don’t even like social media. My business isn’t one of those businesses”. But much like many years ago, when a businessman may have thought “We don’t need telephones, if a client needs something they can come in-store” and when e-mail was first introduced, the yellow pages, websites and so many more advancements - keeping up with your customer means keeping up with the evolution of communication.

If you want your business to stay relevant, you need to make sure the way you communicate with your customer is appropriate too. Regardless of whether your company operates in a business-to-business or business-to-consumer space, if your customers are on social media, then your business needs to meet them where they are. Your social media channels don’t only show your customers that you are active, they also essentially act as free advertising spaces where you can create brand awareness and increase your customer base - if used right. If that’s not enough to convince you, here are more reasons why your business needs social media:

• If your customer is looking for a company like yours, and can’t find you - they will certainly find your competitors
• It increases your SEO status
• It helps build brand awareness, brand love and overall popularity
• Customers you didn’t know will find you, and possibly even purchase from you

And possibly the most important reason why businesses need social media

Social media is a customer service outlet

Gone are the days where customers complain or compliment face-to-face, they turn to social media to review your products and services. You can use this to your advantage and address customer feedback online. This tells your customers that you are active and care enough to respond. Of course, this goes a long way in improving your overall customer service.

So what social media channels are right for my business?

Yes, social media channels are mostly free, so it would seem that, logically, you should be on all of them. But a word of caution before you do - don’t just haphazardly sign your business up for every social media channel out there. You first need to consider the value of the channel for your brand and the time of the person managing and creating specific content for each channel. Not every social media channel is right for every type of industry or type of business; it`s pretty much dictated by which social media channel suits your industry, which ones your ideal customer uses and which ones your biggest online competitors use.

key points to consider before marketing on social media

In order to determine which social media channels are right for your business here are a few tips to guide you:

• Consider the product and service you are offering and the audience on that specific social media channel.
• Have a look at what channels your competitors use. Also, learn from their success points and failures.
• Consider your budget. It’s often better to invest in one or two social media channels efficiently rather than having five or six mediocre channels where your paid media spend is severely stretched.
• Create a social media strategy and plan that include internal guidelines around what to post, when, how often and around what topics.
• Invest in having a dedicated person, in-house or outsourced, for community management. Managing content effectively and responding to customers within reasonable time frames are extremely important. Having a dedicated person to do this will do wonders for your overall customer service.
• Don’t get frustrated and give-up; social media takes time to achieve results - especially without paid spend.
• Monitor, optimize and adjust your learnings as you go.

Take advantage of technological innovation

As technology continues to evolve, consumer behaviour will continue to shift and it`s important to keep up. You may not need social media to necessarily win new clients, but you certainly need it to avoid losing potential customers to your competitors. In today’s market, harnessing the power of the right social media channel for your industry is a must if you want to grow your business and your brand.

For more information on social media management of what Zanthe is up to visit: www.arcinteractive.co

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About the author

Zanthe is a former designer and HTML web developer turned digital marketer based in Johannesburg with an acute eye for detail and a creative spark, she decided to pursue a career in graphic design. After qualifying, she worked as a designer and developer for a few years and then began studying marketing whereafter she found her niche in digital marketing. Zanthe has since been doing digital marketing work on some big brands such as ABSA, Russell Hobbs, Danone Brands, as well as non-profit organizations and now works as the Digital Marketing Manager at Arc Interactive based in Johannesburg.

When she isn't glued to her computer screen - blogging or making the digital connection between her clients and their customers, she spends time playing with her two cats, stays active, keeps her finger on the pulse regarding the latest trends in fashion and food, and tries hard not to be the worlds worst tennis player.

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