Stop Avoiding Social Networks For Business”
Several businesses shy away from using social networking sites and we can not help but ask – why?! There are so many positives to being on social networks that help build up your brand to just simply be ignored. It is time to stop avoiding social networking for business and look at reasons why you should be on them.
It’s Where Your Customers Are
Why would you stay off of a network where you can reach your customers? Rule of thumb is if your customers are on a social network and it makes sense for you to be, then you should be. It makes sense to be on a social network if you have content or you can connect with your customer base. If you have nothing to say then stay away from social sites that are content based and steer more towards location based networks. Again, it is all about where your customers are, and where you can best reach and establish a relationship with them.
It’s Where Your Potential Customers Are
When people are looking for something they are more often than not going to check social sites for brand pages. What do they check for? They look at how you are representing yourself, what your brand personality is like, what services you offer, and if any of their friends currently like you. Take for example, you are in a new city and looking for a place to eat. So you search on Foursquare for local restaurants and see what others are saying about it and which of your friends have checked in there. This is a whole new way of reaching out and tapping into a new customer base by leveraging your current customer base. Another plus to being on social networks is they rank relatively high in search engines which will increase your visibility among people searching for you.
Your Competitors Are There
If you are not on social networks, chances are at least one of your competitors is. Search different social networks for your competitors and see if they are on there and what they are doing to engage with their networks. This is a huge opportunity that you are kissing goodbye by not being on social media sites. They are slowly but surely stealing your customers away from you. People are more likely to do business with a company that has a social presence over one that does not.
It Improves Brand Awareness
People are constantly checking their Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest page so what better way to show off your brand than on these sites? It takes an average of six times for a person to see your brand for them to be able to remember it. Being on social networks help to re-enforce your brand in subtle and creative ways to always be on the top of your customer’s minds.
You Can Build a Community of Brand Advocates
Since your customers are already on social networks, it is much easier to build strong brand advocates this way. Engage with your customers and strengthen your relationship with them so they will want to recommend you to their friends. When you want to build your network you can ask your current followers to share or use ads that show which of their friends have already liked you.
There are far too many positives that outweigh the negatives of not being on social networking sites. You have to consider both of them when deciding which networks to have a social presence on. Be sure to think about the opportunity cost of you not being on a social network and see if it is worth paying.