2020 turned the world on its ear and the marketing industry, like every other aspect of life, was not immune to the effects of the pandemic. Events were cancelled, budgets were cut and, as the world went into isolation, many businesses turned to Social Media to connect with their customers who were stuck at home and turning to the internet for some form of connection.

Marketers realized customers were turning to Social media by the millions for a much-needed distraction from the chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic. In fact, according to the 2021 Digital Report, social media is the second most popular media activity for Australians after watching television, and the average amount of time Aussies spend on social media increased a whopping 10% during the pandemic.

Due to social media’s meteoric rise in popularity, small business owners should make smart social media marketing a part of their overall digital marketing plan, as it allows businesses to engage with various audiences via the platform they frequent. At the end of the day, social media allows you to communicate with those who are already interested in your products/services and make connections with others who aren’t yet familiar with your brand.

Today, we’ll look at 3 roles of this revolutionary aspect of marketing and explain how you can use it to grow your business.

1. Expand Your Reach

It’s important to understand that social media has followed the example set by Google and uses algorithms to create its own version of SEO. The more engagement your content receives, the more likely platforms are to put it up in front of a broader audience—proof positive that what you post matters.

This may lead you to the assumption that you should create a presence on every single social media platform to increase the odds that your customers will see your content…but this isn’t necessarily true. Why would you spend time and effort creating content for the youth-centric platform TikTok if most of your customers use Facebook or LinkedIn?

Talk to your audience and find out where they hang out most. Look at your competitors…where do they focus their social media attention? Once you know which platforms your buyers are most likely to frequent, build your presence there. There’s a reason people say, “work smarter, not harder”, and it certainly applies here.

2. Increase Traffic to Website

Having a business website that receives tons of traffic is the stuff marketing dreams are made of…and social media can do exactly that. People are spending more time than ever before on various platforms and, by creating well-branded social media profiles with clear bios that tell viewers exactly who you are and what you do, you have an excellent opportunity to make a great first impression.

Once profiles are set, you need to create thoughtful engaging content that will draw viewers in and compel them to click on the link to your website. Beautiful images, informative graphics, and enticing links to blog posts on your site will encourage followers to make the leap, thereby increasing website traffic.

3. Improves Customer Engagement

One of the most valuable aspects of social media is the fact that it lets you build authentic, meaningful relationships with customers, increasing brand awareness for new potential customers and deepening brand loyalty amongst those who already love you.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful and informative your social media content is if you don’t engage with your followers. Be sure to ask questions regularly of your audience…and respond when they engage. Personalize responses to readers so they know they are connecting with a human rather than a bot.

When creating content, move past the desire to post tons of sales-focused content. Followers are quick to pick up on hard-sell tactics and will hit the unfollow button. While there is certainly a place for a few well-placed sales posts (new product announcements, exclusive discount codes for followers, etc.), the bulk of your content should be service oriented. What are you offering your followers? How will the information you post help them in their daily lives or solve a problem they struggle with?

When you root your content in helping followers and respond regularly and often to their questions on social media, you build a loyal following who will be quick to like and share the content you post.

And so…

Social media has quickly become an intrinsic part of digital marketing as it helps businesses both large and small connect with their customers in genuine and authentic ways. If you are looking to up your social media game but are unsure where to start, we hope you’ll reach out to us at Digital Canteen. We’d love to help you tap into this prominent market to help, building your audience and making sure your business stands out from the crowd.

Contact us today and find exactly what our social media marketing team can do for you.

Thanks for reading,
Digital Canteen Team
02-9025-4304

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