Social media is hugely important nowadays, offering a way for both individuals and businesses to communicate with each other. Over the past few years, it has grown exponentially, and there are now more Facebook users than what there are people in China! Measuring the size and impact of social media is almost impossible to do, but it is safe to say that it is huge and that no business is able to survive anymore unless it utilizes social media to its advantage. This is something that people like Nigel Allen have been monitoring for a while and they have developed opportunities for small businesses in particular to take advantage of.
Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses According to Nigel Allen
According to recent international research, around 62% of people in the developed world now use a range of different social media sites. Most of those people use it daily, and almost all of them use it at least once per week. Considering the number of people who are therefore on social media every day, it is no surprise that it has also become an important marketing tool. However, doing this properly does require a little bit of knowledge and understanding. After all, they do say that something that appears online never totally disappears, so a single “faux pas” could end up haunting you for a very long time. Hence, small businesses in particular, as they cannot afford mistakes that damage their reputation, must carefully consider whether or not social media marketing is for them.
A couple of things that they should focus on, therefore:
- They should learn about social media first, understanding what it is, what it is for, and how it should be used.
- They should learn what their personal purpose is. A small business, for instance, could choose to use social media only to share information, not to engage in conversations. Alternatively, they could use it to gather reviews or even to simply link to other businesses.
- They should learn about the different social media sites and determine which one is best for their particular business. A small business that wants to engage a younger audience, for instance, should consider Instagram. A small business that hopes to network with other businesses should consider LinkedIn. While there is nothing stopping a business from simply using them all, it can be difficult to manage all of that.
- They should focus on developing quality content. Sharing every once in a while but making it good is a lot more effective than sharing irrelevant content on a daily basis.
Why Small Businesses Should Consider Social Media Marketing
There are a number of key benefits to using social media marketing for small businesses:
- It is incredibly affordable, with the platforms usually being free.
- It allows them to reach an audience around the world.
- It allows for real-time communication and feedback.
Clearly, social media is incredibly important. But unless it is used properly, it should really not be used at all.