You may believe that you are better off without Facebook or any other social network; they may seem like a wasteland of people needlessly expressing their religious and political beliefs in overly aggressive updates, sharing pictures of the vacation they just took or sometimes their lunch and reconnecting with people they had forgotten. But, regardless of your personal opinion, if you are a business owner, you shouldn’t overlook the importance of using Facebook or other social networks for that matter. Today, some business owners are of the opinion that Facebook and other social media platforms aren’t useful because they are just a waste of time and money.
They can highlight statistics that only 0.7% of followers actually choose to interact with social media posts. However, it is not a good idea to use isolated statistics such as post interaction for identifying the effectiveness of social media. Waqar Hassan, a social media marketing expert from www.techburgeon.com, says “Just because people aren’t commenting on a post doesn’t mean that they aren’t noticing them. Social media can turn out to be a highly effective tools for business, as long as they use it correctly”. Waqar further adds, “There are lots of benefits that a business can enjoy through social media marketing, which just aren’t available through other methods”. As a matter of fact, it has 100% higher lead-to-close rate than other marketing channels.
Interaction is the primary difference. A number of business owners who aren’t familiar with social media platforms assume that the goal is to get as many shares and likes as possible. This isn’t the purpose of these platforms. Even Facebook’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg said that businesses often overlook the unparalleled customer engagement offered by Messenger because it provides instant and real-time accessibility for offering customer support services. At the bare minimum, every business should have a fan page on Facebook and some other social networks that can be used for displaying some essential information.
Moreover, if the business continues to post fun and interesting information on their page, they will be able to get a loyal fan following without having to spend anything at all. Your brand exposure can be increased through the page as fans can check in regarding their interaction with the business, thereby updating their friends and families. Unfortunately, most business owners think that making the fan page is the end of the road for search engine optimization and focus on pay-per-click and link-building campaigns to drive traffic and boost sales.
This isn’t the only way to achieve your goal of higher profits. Social comments and shares can influence how newcomers and other online shoppers perceive the brand and the business and can be useful in persuading them to use its products and services. Ad campaigns are also being offered by social platforms like Facebook, along with marketing insights, metrics and analytics and the impressions made by the content, businesses have the ability of adjusting their strategies and righting any wrongs. They are able to take advantage of a huge customer base and directly reach their target audience without a lot of effort.
