A few years ago, my family and I went on vacation with my in-laws. My father-in-law has a boat and the kids always enjoy riding on the inner tube. I do not. I can’t swim; therefore, no water tricks for me!! However, that year, I made a decision that, instead of watching everyone else have fun, I was going to get on that thing, even if it meant I would crash and burn!! The next thing I knew, I was putting on my life jacket and me and my daughter were slowly being pulled out on the water. Before I knew what was happening, we were bouncing along as we both held on for dear life!! I know I screamed but I’m not exactly sure what I was saying. After my “death ride” was over, I actually felt elated. I did something that I thought I couldn’t do but got the courage to jump in and it felt great!! The same principle applies to social media. Are you ready to “jump in” with social media but too afraid to take that first step? Even the thought might be a little intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be.
There are several reasons why you should be using social media, but I am going to focus on three.
Social media can help you increase your brand awareness. By creating profiles for your business and interacting with your followers, as well as networking with other like companies, your business will increase in visibility. People will take notice and become more engaged as they become more aware of who you are and what you are trying to promote.
It’s cost-effective. Bottom line, it’s cheap. You can set up an account on social media platforms for free. You may have to pay to advertise, but you can go slow and start small. Find out what works for your company or organization. Facebook is always a good place to start.
You can engage with your followers. By engaging with your audience, you also provide better customer service and can begin to understand their needs and wants. This also leads to brand loyalty from your followers. Let’s face it…we all are loyal to certain brands. Why? It comes down to trust. For example, I only buy a certain type of toothpaste for my family. I have tried other brands but always come back to this certain one. The quality has always been better, and it gets the job done. Engaging with your follower can lead to conversion which, if you produce what you promise, will lead to trust and loyalty.
There’s no better time to start using social media than now. Take the leap and you will begin to see the benefits. You won't get anywhere unless you take that first step.