With the advent of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram businesses today have received an opportunity to promote their businesses with almost no costs. A failure to capitalise on such a chance by not leveraging upon Social Media Marketing is like missing a drink from a pond of water in a desert. Businesses who do not take advantage of Social Media will eventually slack down in their growth.
Consumers today do not have patience for a one-minute commercial aired on their TV sets during their favourite soap or during a thrilling sports event. People have stopped sitting on a cozy sofa with their families and watch TV, they are now connected to the World Wide Web. Being online gives them a sense of accomplishment when they are admired for their looks or their thoughts. People like to share their moments of joy with their friends and family whom they might not able to meet due to reasons ranging from distance to time availability. On a global average, a person spends about 42 minutes on Facebook every day and this gives a business 42 minutes to talk to their consumers.
What are the Prospects that Social Media Opens for Businesses
Social Media has allowed businesses to connect with their consumers and partners in a more personal manner. It has enabled companies to build lasting relations with their target audience. Loyalists of a brand have developed a greater sense of belonging to the brand as they feel that the brand knows them and it is not just they who know the brand! This gives a personal flavour to the brand-consumer relations.
Good use of listening techniques over the Social Media allows businesses to understand the needs of their consumers in a more precise manner. It allows them to make more specific personas of people and allows them to unveil the precise persona that they wish to target. The in-vogue Human to Human marketing techniques are easily applied over the Social Media. Social Media may even give a business an unconscious endorsement when a friend is influenced to like or follow a brand or a product upon seeing his friend do the same. People are influenced by their trusted advisors in making buying decisions and Social Media gives a chance to businesses make the most of the presence of their admirers in increasing their sales but silent persuasions.
Exposure to your brand is increased multiple times if Social Media is used in the right manner. Social Media has huge scope not only in promotions, but it has shown an immense scope in the Public Relations domain as well.
Conclusion
A business missing out on Social Media is missing out on an ocean of opportunities. The best use of Social Media Marketing is made when experienced and professional Social Marketers are made to maintain the online presence of a business.