If you are the owner of a small business such as a roofing company, insurance agency or anything else in a need-based industry, you may feel confident you can get by just fine without devoting too much time, money and effort into a marketing campaign. However, marketing is not what it used to be—there are ways that you can market your business that are painless and easily help you reach a new customer base. Social media marketing is huge right now. Understanding the WHY behind this type of marketing may make you decide that putting your business on Facebook, Twitter, or any number of other smaller social media sites is an easy way to stay connected to current and potential customers.
Social Media Builds Relationships
With most types of marketing, you are selling yourself. For instance, taking out an ad in a local newspaper is very one-sided. You present your message and the potential customer sees it or ignores it. With social media marketing, there are dual channels of communication. You present your message and your customers can see it, ignore it OR respond and share. This third option builds a tighter relationship between business and client.
Social Media is Affordable
Many types of advertising are very expensive. Have you priced a television ad? However, no matter how small your company is, you can afford to get involved in social media. Creating a basic business page is free on Facebook and Twitter is free for everyone too. Even business-based social media sites like Yelp! offer free accounts. While there are paid ways to boost your presence on social media sites, this is not something you need to do to start reaching out to potential clients.
Social Media Can Improve Search Engine Results
When someone searches for “Plumbers in Montreal, Quebec,” you want your plumbing company’s website to appear on the front page of results, don’t you? Adding social media accounts can help with this. Each social media site you create will allow you to add links to your main webpage, giving you valuable social media-based backlinks that Google and the other search engines value highly when determining how search engine results are posted. Understanding SEO or working with online content providers to help you create optimized content can further enhance this effect; however, even those who are less savvy will see positive results by just creating a couple of simple profiles.
Social Media Humanizes Your Company
It’s easy to forget that the businesses we deal with on a day to day basis are run by real people. Opening a Facebook account, for instance, allows you to give customers an insight into the human side of your business. Posting pictures of your employees, information about the charity work you do and sending holiday wishes will further help you connect with customers.
As you can see, social media marketing is a valuable tool for every type of business. If you are unsure about how to get started yourself, there is plenty of free information available online that can help. A few clicks of the mouse can make a big difference!
Tracy S is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
