Will Social Media Marketing Really Help My Business Grow?

Social media marketing (SMM). Will it really help my business grow? Here’s the answer: Yes, it does help – a lot! As a marketer, this is one question most small business owners ask nowadays. However, in order for SMM to be successful you need to have a clear understanding of what content marketing involves.

According to Pew Research, 71 percent of online American adults use Facebook, with 28 percent using LinkedIn, 28 percent Pinterest, 26 percent Instagram and 23 percent Twitter. What more can you ask for?

What’s So Popular About SMM?       

Fact: “73% of small businesses use social media websites as marketing tools” (Source: mediabistro). The digital world is constantly evolving, and getting even more advanced as the years go by. That’s why it’s important to take advantage (if you haven’t already) and consider social media marketing for your small business. As a Fort Lauderdale web design agency, we believe that the role your website plays on the internet goes hand-in-hand with a well-planned internet marketing strategy.

Social media marketing is just a portion of your content marketing plan. It’s much more than just sharing pictures online to gain “Likes” and followers. It’s about getting your target audience to actually engage with the amazing content you share, gaining control of your image online and creating relationships with your audience. Your content is a reflection of your business, so if you share cheap, irrelevant content then your visitors will think the same about your company.

The same rule applies to your social media pages. Make sure your social network sites are professionally optimized and updated. Here are a few tips to make sure you have what you need:

• Company logo
• Link to your website (if you don’t have a website…you’re in trouble)
• Company Bio (short, sweet and to the point)
• Properly sized cover/profile photos (here’s a downloadable reference guide)
• Daily content (don’t abandon your social media accounts)

Think Different. Be original.

What do most people do on social media? Ask questions, share content, discuss their interests and so on. Whatever the case may be, your company can be there to answer their questions, and eventually become a top influencer in your industry.

Being a Fort Lauderdale web design agency, we’re constantly thinking of ways to think outside the box with our content. For instance, what sets our company aside from the rest, and how can we cater to our target audience? Once you figure that out, then you can find ways to create content and structure your SMM plan based on your audience’s interests.

How Will Social Media Marketing Help My Business Grow?

Now that we have an idea of what SMM involves, let’s go over a few ways social media marketing can help your small business grow:

1. Proving Your Expertise. With time, your audience will begin to see your company as a thought leader in your industry, and won’t hesitate to spread the word with their fellow followers. WOMMA (word of mouth marketing) is a powerful tool.
2. Helps Build Relationships. It’s not only about sharing interesting content with your followers. It’s about creating a relationship with your audience by building trust and encouraging them to engage with the content you provide.
3. Observe Competitor Activity. Keeping an eye on the competition is key when developing a SMM strategy. It not only gives you insights on the type of content you should be sharing, but also helps you determine how you can stand out from the crowd.
4. Cost Friendly. Although SMM is not entirely free, it’s very cost effective. Yes, posting content throughout social media is free, but it’s the time that costs. Time is money! Trying to market your business across every single social network is very time-consuming, and some may not work well with your business. Focus on the main social networks that your business can benefit from the most (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ and Youtube).
5. Effective with Organic Search Results. Believe it or not, social media has a significant impact on your SEO. Creating shareable and engaging content across social medial alerts search engines like Google that people are actually interested in your content. As a result, Google gives you domain authority over other websites that aren’t using social media for their business. Cool, right?

Conclusion

Most small business owners are skeptical when it comes to creating a social media marketing strategy. Running your own company and keeping track of social media can be overwhelming and tedious. That’s why it’s important to make sure you understand how much effort social media marketing requires. It doesn’t hurt to get some guidance from the pros in order to jumpstart your SMM plan, and get your business out into the digital world.

Cultura Interactive is a full service, Fort Lauderdale web design agency that strives to not only create unique and attractive websites, but also helps businesses improve their internet marketing strategies in a less-complicated way.

Our team of professionals specialize in web design, logo design, WordPress development, eCommerce, responsive web design, mobile apps, SEO, social media marketing, pay per click advertising and more. Learn more about our services or contact us for a personal interview.