Over 70% of those who experience a positive response from a brand over social media are likely to recommend that business to other people, reported NM Incite in 2012. Today, social media continues to be a powerful marketing tool.
Upon the creation of these platforms, I am sure its founders did not foresee its future role in entrepreneurship. Nonetheless, it has proven to be a positive feature of social media. Small businesses are able to grow and thrive after they gain attention, build credibility and demonstrate their personality online.
At the same time, these applications are accessible to anyone who has a smartphone. This way, no matter where you are in the process, simply having a phone grants you the opportunity to expand your business. Personally, I have discovered unique shops on social media that I follow and purchase from when something catches my eye.
Granted, traffic is an essential part of success but can be generated in a multitude of ways on your application of choice. For example, entrepreneurs can invest in ads that will appear on feeds, which have been proven especially successful in a peer-reviewed study. Depending on the content, these ads can very well lead to a new customer. What business owners post is also important. It can illustrate your product’s value against competition as well as your company’s special expertise in the industry.
Yet posting is not the only component business owners should focus on. Actually, interacting with customers has proven to be an effective social media marketing strategy. It helps users see the human-aspect through the screen and foster relationships.
Another useful method is to partner with influencers who can use their platform to your advantage. Offering custom discount codes through promoters is always a temptation for users to check out a small business.
Social media can allow users to create a personal brand. For instance, influencers operate in some ways like a business. It all goes back to creating connections with your followers. Many influencers have a loyal fan base that looks up to them because of their authority in a particular interest as well as their personality.
Charli D’Amelio is the most followed influencer on TikTok, with over 140 million followers. How did it happen? The answer is branding. Consistently sticking to what she is good at — dancing — and making moves to get her name out there are both contributing factors. Today, she stars in a TV show and created a clothing line. Like other influencers, she is an inspiration to her following which largely consists of the younger generation.
Whether you are D’Amelio or just an average Joe trying to navigate the complex business world, social media can help you achieve your goals. You may not see these platforms as the tool beyond their immediate, time-consuming entertainment, but their reach is indisputable.
It is simply, in my opinion, a waste to not take advantage of the chance social media gives businesses to communicate with a larger audience and illustrate how their brand reflects them. Social media can be toxic — or it can open countless doors for the fruits of your labor.
