The advantages and benefits of using Social Media Marketing for small businesses
Traditional advertising channels no longer carry the appeal that they used to for small business owners. Billboards, television advertising and magazine or newspaper adverts can be expensive to run, yet they are broadcast indiscriminately, not targeted, and are often skipped over. As a society we are used to “tuning out” this kind of advertising, so that most mass marketing efforts make little impact on those who see it.
In fact, 86% of people in the UK skip through television advertisements by fast-forwarding during ad breaks, and even online advertising, in the form of banner ads or flashing images is being shunned, with 84% of 25 to 34 year olds admitting to clicking away from a website because of an “irrelevant or intrusive ad.”
These days, consumers expect more. They do not want to be talked at, they want a two-way conversation with a brand in an accessible, appealing format and social media marketing is proving a highly effective way for small businesses to reach out to customers in a way that works.
Social media is a true leveller, offering a corner shop in Leicester the same platform as a multi-national e-commerce store, and a greeting card designer who works from her home in Aberdeen the same potential reach as an international airline. Many small businesses are finding that, by connecting with their customers through the use of social media, they increase people’s awareness of their brand, they personalise their business in a way that makes people feel more able to relate to them, and they can encourage incredible customer loyalty.
Facebook and Twitter are amongst the more well-known channels for small businesses to start their social media marketing efforts. There are more than 33 million people in the UK who use Facebook, over half the population! While Twitter has fewer, at 10 million active UK users, this is still a significant proportion of the population. Embracing these platforms means that a small business has access to many more people than they could normally reach, and if they carry out their social media marketing campaign in a planned, interactive, measurable and personable way, they could be surprised by how many followers or fans they can pick up who go on to become customers.
YouTube is a video-sharing platform that many small businesses overlook, fearing that to engage in this site would involve specialist equipment and video-making expertise. In fact, many people are finding great success in marketing themselves using short videos they make using their smartphones, whether it is an entrepreneur singing a Jay-Z spoof or a blender company blending an iPhone: a good idea which is well implemented can show remarkable returns for a business.
Instagram and Pinterest are also growing in popularity, and are particularly useful for businesses whose work, products or services involve a visual element, such as photography, fashion, beauty or travel-based companies. However even those with other types of businesses are finding creative ways to engage with prospects using visual imagery, perhaps by capturing images of their staff going about their work or of their products being used and demonstrated.
Social media marketing is a very cost-effective way to promote your brand, make more people aware of you and what you offer, and engage with your customers and clients. Because it is more interactive than traditional “interruption” advertising, people feel a stronger connection to the brands they make contact with, and are even willing to help promote them if a campaign is handled well. Whether a business is B2B or B2C there are ways and means to achieve great success using social media as a primary marketing strategy.
