We are living in the age of social media. Indeed, it could be argued that sites such as Facebook and Instagram are more influential on the cultural zeitgeist now than even the world’s most respected news stations and platforms.
Instead of fighting against the tide, however, small businesses should be taking advantage of this paradigm shift. Indeed, in many ways, social media might have been the best thing to happen to small businesses since the invention of the internet itself. But only if they are using it properly!
Leads – Generating leads is one of the key tenants of most businesses and social media is an ideal source, with over 65% of small businesses using it to not only increase leads but generate more highly targeted leads. Social media can be used to promote gated content, that is more compatible with the interests of your followers.
Recognition – Social media is also handy for building and spreading brand identity and as long as your social media posts include a strong call to action, you should always be able to draw new leads from your social media page to the site itself. Social media can be the most direct way to get your brand out into the world and hit consumers from all angles.
Ranking – Many small businesses still don’t understand that social media can help to improve search engine ranking if used smartly. Google ranks pages based on authority and the more social media shares your site and your brand receives, the more authority the site will gain as a result. Many consumers will also head to a social media page first, to get a general idea of the brand, before moving on to the website. This is always going to be beneficial.
Traffic…
