Big Social Media Benefits for Small Businesses

According to U.S. Census Bureau, in January 2014 there were 1,856,680,860 active social network users.

It’s safe to say that social media is at the core of not only the world in general, but the business world as well. Nowadays, people look to social media as an information source where they get their fix of sports, entertainment, current events, and not to mention how businesses can spread the word about their brand.

Now, more than ever is a great time for small businesses to keep their thumb on the pulse of what’s trending and use social media to their advantage.

Today, we are going to discuss the big social media benefits for small businesses that are often associated with Facebook and Twitter.

So without further ado, let’s jump right in!

Brand Awareness– Perhaps the main benefit of social media is its marketing potential. Social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter not only introduce people to a particular brand, they open the lines of communication between small businesses and their target audience. But, just because you have a Facebook page or a Twitter handle doesn’t automatically mean that people will flock to your social sites. It takes hard work, smart marketing and carefully crafted content that will speak to your audience, which leads perfectly to the next point.

Target Audience- Nowadays, social media platforms offer valuable information that small businesses can use to their benefit.  Reaching out to the right audience that will be interested in either your goods or services is a lot like a treasure hunt and Facebook and Twitter can help small businesses find the “X” that they’ve been looking for.

For small businesses in any industry, one of the keys to success is determining who your audience is. Social media makes reaching your target audience more accessible. How? Through features such as Facebook insights which can help you learn more about your audience like their age, gender and demographic.

To that point, the geo-targeting feature also is an effective way to spread your message to the right audience. These tools will allow you, as a small business, to reach out to a bigger, broader audience with the right content.

You know the classic saying, “knowledge is power” and as a small business you must be knowledgeable about who is interested in your brand and then craft messages that speak directly to their needs to keep them coming back for more and in turn provide you with a better return on investment!

Traffic’s a Good Thing- Let us explain. No we aren’t talking about the type of traffic that refers to bumper-to-bumper cars as far as the eye can see.  We are talking about website traffic!  So, you’ve built a website for your small business. Now what? Perhaps one of the best benefits of social media for small businesses is the potential to increase website traffic.

By sharing pertinent company updates and content about your business, you are able to spread the word quickly and easily. All that you have to do is take your content and post it to your social media accounts.

It’s important to keep in mind however, that you want to create content that your audience will want to share with others. So be creative yet professional when crafting your next message that aligns with your brand and your target audience’s interests!

All in all, social media continues to evolve and is becoming the backbone to many companies’ marketing efforts. For small businesses in particular, social media will allow you to engage with consumers and to show not tell your followers what your company has to offer!