The last couple of months of staying inside the house and being socially distant has been a bit challenging. If you were a socialite prior to the Pandemic, this time has probably been somewhat of a nightmare for you. Don’t worry, you are not alone. Although I have taken this time to focus on growing my business, I am still missing time with friends, a nice Saturday night cocktail at the bar and just some fun and laughs. I will admit though, I do not miss the Sunday morning hangover. Over the last few weeks, I have been reflecting on the idea of being social. Now that I miss social gatherings, I am trying to think back on how social I really have been all these years. Lately the only way to be social, is to either be socially distant or to be scrolling on social media. Since scrolling on social media is a bit more fun, lets talk a little about that today.
As entrepreneur, you might be asking yourself, what is the benefit of being social? Well let me tell you, it’s very important. Many brands and businesses today are using social media as a primary source for their marketing strategy. Did you know that 91% of US brands use social media as part of their marketing strategy? I have a few guesses as to why that is but let’s break this down a bit. Did you also know that there are 3.5 billion social media users worldwide? That means that it is highly likely that your target audience is using some form of social media to connect with the world. Now, while we can guess that these users are on social media to stay connected with their family, friends, and networks, who’s to say that they wouldn’t be open to purchase your products and services there too. It happens. 68% of consumers use social networking sites to read reviews on products and services and that’s a way of advertising. I don’t know about you but I will often times visit a restaurant or store because either it was posted on social media by my friends or I saw an advertisement for it while I was scrolling on my Facebook feed. Don’t tell me you have never done that!
Want to know another great reason why Entrepreneurs should certainly consider Social Media as part of their Marketing strategy? Here goes. It is probably one of the most cost-effective marketing channels out there after word of mouth marketing. Signing up for a business Facebook, Instagram of LinkedIn page is free. Now, the time it takes to generate, and post effective and engaging content is valuable, but the channels are very low cost. Of course, you can choose to utilize organic means, but you also have the flexibility to run ads on channels like Facebook and Instagram which could lead to new targeted populations seeing your services and purchasing them. Especially when you are first starting out and you are managing costs, creating social media pages is a great way to get your brand out there, talk about your products and most of all, create meaningful conversations with your target audience. This is a great place where connection can begin because people can absorb your content in bit size chunks as they get to know you better.
The last reason I want to share with you why having an active social media presence is important as an entrepreneur is simply because your competition Is likely on social. Think of most of the brands you use daily. I would venture to guess that many of them, if not all of them, have a social media presence in some capacity. More and more brands today are using social media to elevate brand awareness, advertise their products and services and stay in touch with their audiences. So, I guess the moral of the story is, it really doesn’t matter when we got so social but what really matters is are you social today? If not, I suggest you get with the program. It’s a great place to start. And its Easy!
If you want to know more about building a social media strategy or need help getting started, drop me a line at [email protected]. We can help!
