It’s a question that would have been answered very differently ten (or even five) years ago, but with changes in technology and the development of internet platforms, not having a social media presence is comparable to walking around with a flip phone and wondering why people are looking at you funny. Social media is how the modern world communicates. We get it though – some of you may still use your flip phone and be asking, ‘What is social media going to do for me? Do I really need it?’ The answer is yes, yes you do – and here are some of the reasons why:
It’s where your customers ‘hang out’
It’s essential for your business to be up to date with social media because this is where your clients are spending most of their free time. Research has shown that the average person now spends nearly two hours (approximately 116 minutes) a day on social media, and teens are spending close to nine hours! This provides an excellent opportunity to continue the conversation and remain relevant at all times of the day.
It will increase your brand recognition
Look at social media platforms as another channel for your brand to speak to your customers and share content. This is important as it makes it easier and more accessible for new customers to see and interact with you, as well as strengthening your relationship and familiarity with existing clients. For example, a Facebook user may have only ever come across your business after seeing it appear on their feed. Not only will you find customers who you didn’t know existed, but they will also find you!
Your competitors are on social media
Surely that in itself is enough to make you click that sign-up button! Research has indicated that 91% of brands online are now using more than one social media platform. Businesses are moving fast to preventing themselves from falling behind and having to play catch up – you should be too. Failing to adopt platforms early on can make it much harder and more expensive to grow your following through them in the future.
It’s free.
Now you have no excuse – who doesn’t love a freebie? There are no costs associated with launching a business page on any of the leading social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can manage your own content and campaigns to keep costs minimal, or you can hire a social media management or marketing agency (like us) to help you run it if you’re not confident in your writing style, interacting with people, or if you need help developing your social media marketing strategy.