10 February 2014 boxchilli Last Updated: 25 January 2023 Why use Social Media for Business Most of the world’s internet users are part of at least one social network, and many of us have multiple profiles. As a result, social networks are an important part of any digital marketing strategy and are effective when it comes to selling a product or service. It’s easy to spend several hours browsing any one of these sites, and large companies have whole teams devoted to social networking. As a small business, there are three keys to success: Choose your social networks carefully Post regularly Keep your messages professional As these sites are all free to join, it’s advisable to sign up to each one to ensure that you have the use of your company’s name. However, it’s a good idea to choose one or two sites to focus your social media presence on, at least to start with. An automated tool, such as HootSuite, allows you to push the same message out on multiple channels. However, the core of a social network is interaction and social listening; if you’re successful, you’ll get reactions and comments from customers that you’ll need to reply to. The Benefits of Social Media for Business Are you still unsure why you should use social media for your business? Social media is a great inexpensive way for your business to reach potential customers and grow your brand. Discover the many more benefits of social media for business here; Increase Brand Awareness Increase Website Traffic Generate Effective Leads Grow your Network Source Content Effective Social Media Platforms for Business Facebook With over a billion people using Facebook, it’s an obvious choice for marketing businesses to grow their audiences. You’ll need a personal account to create a page or group for your business. Customers, colleagues and competitors can then sign up to get notifications of your social media posts. If your target demographic uses Facebook a lot, then this can be a great way to create an inner circle, as well as share offers and provide customer service as part of your digital marketing strategy. Google+ Created by internet giant Google, fills a similar niche and is rapidly gathering users. Twitter The essence of Twitter is short, immediate communications. Tweets need to be under 140 characters, and they’ll typically be lost in a storm of other tweets hours or minutes later. Tweets may be picked up and shared by other Twitter users, but it’s common for this not to happen. If you have short deals anyway, such as a daily special offer or a loyal and tech-savvy target audience, Twitter may work well for you. LinkedIn Unlike the sites described above, LinkedIn is intended for people to use as professionals. It’s an online networking tool, allows you to connect with colleagues and clients, who can then rate and recommend you. It has a more professional tone and is heavily used by recruiters looking to place people in niche roles. It’s ideal for B2B companies looking to connect with new customers as you can send messages directly to almost anyone in an organisation. Specialist Sites There are hundreds of social media channels, many providing connections with potential customers and building relationships in a niche interest group or a single language. If you’re looking for a site to host and share images or videos, there are an enormous number, many of which have a social element. Pinterest can be a great choice for businesses in the design and visual industries, as an attractive image can be picked up and shared around the world, drawing customers in, in a way that a planned digital marketing campaign may struggle to match. YouTube, which receives over a billion views per month, is the king of online video sharing while MySpace remains popular with musicians. Even knitters have their own social network for brand awareness, Ravelry, with over 3 million users, so there truly is a social networking site for everyone! Social Media for Busines with boxChilli At Boxchilli we are experienced in helping businesses to grow through various social media platforms which include; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube. Our social media team are here to help promote your online presence by generating effective leads and providing you with useful tips to help grow your business. Book a free consultation today with one of our social media specialists to begin growing your brand through social media. Find out more regarding social media support and why your business should have it here. Back to blog list About the Author boxchilli