Social Media in Business: The Beginning of Connected Era
Let’s picturise a business before a decade ago,
Any retailer or local business owner used to take care of business activities manually. For advertising, they were used to rely on conventional methods such as newspapers, radio, etc. Customers were informed to call directly if they face any issue while usage of products and services. In short, there was a limited mindset and limited resources to run a venture.
Now, let’s flip the coin,
Today, we are heading towards digitization. Businesses are revamping their existing models, investing in websites and applications, following different practices to strong online presence, assisting customers grievances through modern tools such as surveys and chatbots. In short, today, businesses are more connected than ever. They have the opportunity to expand their reach beyond imagination.
And social media does the same. Now you must be curious to know why social media is crucial for business and how it often refers to the beginning of a connected era. Social media offers brands the best way to connect with one-on-one customers and nurture them to increase the customer retention ratio.
Social Media in Business is a Bubble That Will Not Burst so Soon
Imagine
You are running a small business, and you are generating leads and interacting with potential buyers whilst sitting at the poolside in your casual wear. It seems fascinating, right?
Yes, businesses now can interact with buyers and sell their products without any barriers. Social media has allowed entrepreneurs to promote their products and services in front of a global audience without spending much. These are the strategies, tools, and practices that have changed the business landscape from 2010 to 2021.
Now let’s see how customer’s preferences have been changing over the years.
A modern customer today is used to perform everything on-the-go. Since they have an amazing application on their palm for ordering, booking, selecting, paying, and receiving products, the significance of social media has become inevitable for businesses.
Here you can see how people of different ages use social media. Business owners and marketers are leveraging social media platforms to increase customer engagement. There is a wrong myth that social media is all about pretty and cool pictures, trolling, commenting, and likes, though. For businesses, social media is the best outlet to represent their strengths to the masses. It is one of the valuable arms of an overall marketing campaign that can reflect your business identity and opens the doors to more opportunities. (source)
Social Media is a Cog in the Big Wheel of Digital Era
Social media has the potential to generate brand awareness, foster customer loyalty, and satisfaction and drive much traffic as means of attracting maximum eyeballs. Moreover, you have to be there where your customers are. Engaging with them in a powerful way and on a daily basis not only drives more sales but helps you avoid catastrophic moves for your business.
And not only eCommerce business owners do social media to boost sales, but widely used on-demand apps such as uber type taxi booking apps and other delivery apps are also allowing customers to render products and services through social media.
Well, that’s not all.
Almost 70% of consumers read online reviews of products on different social media platforms to make informed purchase decisions.
What does this mean?
It means you have to maintain a good social media presence in order to bring new customers regularly. Post quality content, publish videos and GIFs, interact with customers to attain high engagement and reach.
According to research conducted by WebFX, It’s time to confess the truth, here you can see conventional marketing methods are expensive while social media costs less and still gives you better results. For any business- whether it be a multi corporation or local “mom-and-pop” store, in order to achieve desired outcomes, social media presence is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. It connects people with brands without any mediators and allows marketers to establish personal relations with the audience.
Indeed, social media has not only changed the way we operate a business, but it has opened several closed doors.
Run a Social Media Marathon without Delusions
Snapshot from Influencer MarketingHub clearly states your business should be on these three platforms because your customers are there. The ensuing goal of any entrepreneur is to earn maximum revenue with less. Wide access to the Internet has made it quite challenging for businesses to stand tall in the crowded market. Marketers are practicing new tactics that boost profitability and attract new customers.
Intending to stay in a SPOTLIGHT, enterprises have to take up social media, which is more necessary than an option if they really want to establish a strong web presence and drive traffic to websites and apps. Social media blasts off your products into space. Connect, reach, nurture and engage with your potential customers- no matter where they reside.
Here are some extra benefits businesses get from social media apart from strong connectivity,
- Establish a strong online presence
- Add fuel to your existing marketing campaign
- Build brand advocacy
- Marketplace awareness
- Improve brand recognition
- Potential of converting “visitors” into customers
Today, for enterprises, maintaining a strong social media presence has become an ineludible part of any marketing campaign which offers incredible advantages and reaches millions of users globally. Increasing penetration of smartphones and the Internet could be other reasons that indicate the importance of social media in today’s modern business world.
Indeed, the Beginning of the Connected Era
- Social media is one of the extensions that share your brand personality and allow you to interact with customers.
- Whether you are a well-established business owner or startup, social media offers equal chances to engage with customers. Social media has literally connected customers with brands where users are enticed through the content, quality, and visibility of any product.
- Social media has also made it possible to deliver round-the-clock customer service. Facebook Messenger and other chatbots are the real examples. All you need to do is spend a few hours and post content that users find interesting. Almost 90% of marketers claimed that social media is the reason behind their increasing brand awareness and solid user experience.
- The competition among businesses is getting very tough but social media is the way that stands you top and garners your modern business to combat challenging situations.
- Communicating with customers and reaching new people was difficult earlier but now social media has overcome this barrier, so what are you waiting for, grow your audience, and unleash the power of this connected era to enjoy business perks.