10 reasons why entrepreneurs should use social networks

Posted by Tereza Cervena on January 20th, 2020

10 reasons why entrepreneurs should use social networks

It is no coincidence that most successful companies use social networks to promote their services and products. The reason is simple - social networks are one of the most effective ways to get to know and communicate with new customers. And we'll give you 10 reasons why you should use them too.

Despite the ubiquity of social networks, their market potential continues to grow not only with increasing users, but also with increased activity. Active user growth is expected to reach 3.02 billion by 2021, which is one third of the global population.

In digital marketing, social networks are undoubtedly one of the main means of communication. Together with the website and the content you create and share, it creates an image of your brand, and the principles are just like communicating with potential customers directly through a physical store.

Think of your digital marketing as a candy store: in this context, your website is a store, social networks are the interpretation and content of the cakes you offer to potential customers. The customer may not be interested in a particular product in the shop window, but by seeing the quality and potential of your services, he or she will create a positive opinion and remember the cakes when celebrating the opportunity.

To maximize your chances of success, all three elements must work together. Potential customers are more likely to enter a store that has an interesting interpretation and sees examples of quality products and services.

Social marketing does not require a high budget, but still has the potential to build a brand and create new business opportunities. If you are not yet convinced or think of where am I on the range of the effectiveness of social media, here are a few reasons why social marketing is the ideal way to make your business more visible:

1. Raise awareness about your company

Social allows you to reach a large number of potential customers in real time and without geographic constraints. Given the reach of social networks, you have the opportunity to get to the attention of users who haven't heard about your business yet. As the name implies, social networks are about sharing. Therefore, the more actively you engage in social marketing, the more followers will share interesting updates, and not only will they become aware of their social circles.

The more people know about you, the faster your online community will grow, and the more likely they are to find you when they are interested in the products or services you offer. This will not happen overnight, but your social impact and potential customers will grow over time.

2. They give your business a human face

The story of your business and the way you do what you do is often the main competitive advantage of small and large companies. Social networks are the perfect place to share your everyday joys and worries about your brand. People will not only perceive you as a corporate identity, but they will start seeing you more personally and will remember your communication much more intensively. This allows you to get closer to your customers, even if you don't physically communicate with them.

3. Make it easier for your potential customers to find you

According to a recent Salesforce survey, 87 % of people search for a product online before buying it. Therefore, it is highly likely that your potential customers are already using social networks to search for companies and brands from which they want to buy or work with a product. Therefore, you should be ready to find you.

Social networks also directly affect where you appear in the search engine - profiles of companies that have a large number of active users signal to Google that they are trustworthy and especially popular brands, which then pushes to the top of the search engine. Given the popularity and scale of social networks, your profiles are also one of your company's first search results and are therefore an important part of your online identity.

4. Give real feedback

You do not have to believe everything you hear or read, but by monitoring potential and existing customers you will learn a lot. Not only what they say about your brand or industry, but especially what they need and want, and that allows you to adapt to their demands. Adapting product and service offerings to your customers' real needs is a signal that you care about them, increasing your chances of success for your business. Being real-time feedback from real people, it's one of the most effective ways to get to know your potential customers.

5. Enable efficient customer service

While dealing with complaints and negative responses publicly is not an ideal way to create a positive image of your company, if you prove you are taking them seriously and trying to resolve them as quickly as possible, new and existing customers will trust you more. If your customers feel that you are listening to them and dealing with their negative experiences, they are much more likely to talk to them and not to spread negative feedback around. It is also a time- and cost-effective way of communication, often much faster than by email or telephone.

6. They create new business opportunities

It is highly likely that your potential customers are using at least one social network, which is the perfect space to create new business opportunities. Therefore, you should be present where your ideal customers spend the most time, attracting their attention and keeping it as long as possible. Naturally, they will remember you over time, and once they are interested in your services, they will know where to find you.

People like to buy from people and companies they like based on communication and quality of service. This way you can directly influence the growth of your new customers by creating a positive image through social networks.

7. Increase traffic to your website

By sharing the content of your website through social networks, you are increasing the number of new and repeat visitors, making your company brand and offer more visible. It is likely that users who visit your site with a particular link shared on your social profiles will not only register your company, but also stay on your site.

Therefore, it is a good idea to monitor the number of visitors who found you through social networks, as well as their behavior during your visit. Knowing where your visitors are coming from, what they care about, and how long they stay on each page, will allow you to adjust accordingly and focus on what works most effectively.

8. They represent cost effective advertising means

Compared to traditional marketing, it is a more cost-effective way to advertise, with a much wider demographic impact. If you use the basic free social networking features, your only investment is your time. If you use social networks for paid advertising, since user data is regularly updated by the users themselves, it's highly likely that your ad will reach the right people at the right time. You also have the option to segment who sees your ad in detail, as well as monitor your return on investment.

9. They monitor a competitive market

Whether on personal or company profiles, we all try to present our best. Probably not only you but also your competitors use social networks to communicate with potential customers and share success, new products and events in real time. Therefore, this space is ideal for monitoring competition as well as learning about the latest trends in your industry.

10. Search for talent

Finding the talented people you want to work with - whether as an employer or a business partner - is both costly and time consuming. Social networks, such as LinkedIn, are an ideal way to find talents and build relationships with other professionals and suppliers. And, of course, they do the other way around - if someone searches for your services or wants to work with you, social networks are an effective way to find and contact you.