The True Benefits to Social Media …

Despite social media’s track record (which yes, has been proven), there are unfortunately some businesses who aren’t quite sold on the idea of implementing social media as part of their marketing plan yet. Maybe they have questions about the value or benefits.

So, whether you are looking for some fresh, new ways to get social media to benefit your brand or you haven’t yet jumped on the bandwagon, here are a handful of major key benefits of social media for your business …

• An increased exposure and brand awareness/equity.
• An opportunity to offer high level customer service.
• A chance to learn about your target audience/customers.
• A great marketing tool for generating leads and sales.
• A keen edge on the competition through competitive analysis.
• A huge benefit for diving into research and development.

Now of course there are many more benefits than just those few and within each we can dive deeper into many sub-topics to getting the most of each on social media, but today I’m going to deconstruct for you what I feel is one of the most important benefits of utilizing social media for your business … YOUR BRAND.

Ready? Okay, let’s dive in …

Humanizing Your Brand:
Start here by developing a voice for your brand. It should stand out yet be consistent across all your profiles and of course fir the perception you want to give. Remember, customers care just as much about who they are buying from as they do about what they are buying.

Building Brand Equity:
Whether through offering free resources, custom made guides that educate or entertain or blogging, you must build equity with your customers. Getting someone to go from a prospect to a customer isn’t always simple as getting them to discover your brand. By offering the items mentioned above, you earn their trust by providing worthwhile items of value for free.

Establishing Brand Authority:
Through sharing relevant content and being a resource go-getter, you can establish your brand as an authority within your industry. Using social media to do so is a solid platform for becoming an authority in your niche.

Increasing Brand Awareness:
This is an easy way to fill in the gaps and get exposure to a new audience.

Increasing Your Web Traffic:
Statistics have proven that social media profiles drive over 30% of a website traffic. Considering the amount of content that passes through social media platforms daily, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Having your website listed on all your profiles can capitalize your brand in a huge way!

Growing Your Audience:
The viral nature of social media is a huge advantage in today’s tech-savvy world. So, try focusing on sharing helpful and entertaining content that keeps your viewers coming back for more because building your online audience is one of the simplest and best ways to grow your brand long-term. With every new fan or connection gained, that is one more person that could potentially share your content with a friend, then they share with their friends and so on. This could create some customers for you or at the very least get your brand on the map! Which we all know is what you are going for.

The bottom line: social media isn’t just for socializing anymore. It has become an extremely important and powerful business tool. And as you can see here, there are more than enough benefits to utilizing social media for your business … enough to make it worth your while. So, if you have not yet jumped on the bandwagon, hopefully this breakdown will convince you to. And if you are well on your way, please leave a comment and let everyone know how social media hasbenefited your brand?