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As a local marketing consultant, I know firsthand how important it is for businesses to be active on social media. An online presence helps build brand awareness, connect with customers, and grow your business. Today, there are many social media platforms available to marketers, and which ones you choose to use can have a significant impact on the success of your social media marketing. Several factors, including your industry, market, and brand, can influence the network you utilize.
The idea of social media was already well established and altering how people connect and communicate before Facebook went viral in the early 2000s. Social media has advanced enormously alongside our civilization, from the most inconspicuous MySpace profile to the first-ever Youtube account. It stands to reason that using social media as a platform for companies to spread their message and build brand awareness would be the next logical step.
Even though social media is a vital part of our daily lives, choosing the right platform for your company may be stressful. Who you want to communicate with your organization and how you want to interact with them will significantly influence your chosen platforms. After all, if your business primarily consists of textual content, you don't need a YouTube channel. This article can assist in analyzing the various platforms and how their utilization might benefit your organization.
Why Should Businesses Use Social Media?
You could wish to use social media for business for various reasons. The following are a few of the main benefits:
Increase Brand Recognition
Social media helps businesses increase their brand recognition. You can use platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to share information about your company with a larger audience. Additionally, you can engage with customers in real-time, which helps create trust and transparency between the business and its target market.
This can also help improve customer satisfaction by addressing customer feedback quickly and efficiently. Participating in social media sets you apart and keeps your name fresh in people's thoughts all day. Once your brand has exposure, you will likely attract more interested people.
Link Up With Clients
Staying connected with customers is integral to running a successful business. Social media offers organizations an ideal platform to stay in touch with their existing customers and build relationships with new ones. By engaging with users on social media platforms, you can create a sense of loyalty amongst them, which will likely result in more conversions and brand loyalty in the long run.
Thinking that your company only needs to "close the sale" is a ballsy move. Social media instead creates a contact channel connecting you to your clientele. This lowers your turnover rate and encourages future repeat business.
Improve Your SEO
Using social media effectively can also help improve your search engine optimization (SEO). By using relevant hashtags, keywords, and content to link back to your website, you can significantly increase your chances of appearing higher in organic searches. Additionally, having a solid presence on different social media sites will make it easier for local prospects to find you when searching for digital marketing consultants.
Local customers may be more likely to reach out for services or products if they know where you are and how accessible you are through local channels. You can increase the number of likes, clicks, shares, and interactions with your material by advertising it on social media. Then, you'll increase website traffic, which will increase pageviews. These are clear signals for search engines such as Google and support your local SEO advancement.
Increasing Your Mailing List
Social media can also be used to increase your mailing list. You can use platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to promote sign-ups for newsletters or other offers. Additionally, you can use survey contests and giveaways to encourage users to join your mailing list in exchange for a chance at winning something.
This will help boost the number of people interested in your organization's offerings, increasing engagement with paying customers and helping reach more local prospects. After folks visit your website via your social media content, you will have more chances to turn them into leads. Eventually, you may utilize this information to increase the size of your mailing lists and the revenue generated by your email marketing.
Increased Revenue and Generate Leads
Each of the aforementioned benefits contributes to one thing—moving customers through your marketing funnel and increasing your company's profits. Through improved customer engagement, increased loyalty, and conversions in your marketing funnel, these benefits have the potential to generate more profits for your company.
Another advantage of using social media for business is that it gives you an excellent opportunity to generate leads for your organization. By sharing valuable content through various channels, you can attract potential customers who may be interested in what your business has to offer. This will help drive website traffic, create hype around your products and services, and increase sales.
Best Social Media Platforms for Business
With so many options out there, where should you start? Here are five platforms you need to consider when creating your social media strategy:
Instagram is a great platform to showcase your products and services. You can share stunning visuals and photos of your offer, attracting local businesses and potential prospects. Instagram Stories also presents an ideal opportunity for companies to quickly and easily create high-quality content. Businesses can use Stories for promotions or giveaways, as well as day-to-day updates on the local market.
Instagram has a range of features specifically aimed at businesses. This includes adding posts' contact information, shopping links, and e-commerce features. Instagram also allows users to create custom audiences based on interests and demographics to send targeted ads. Additionally, businesses can use the Insights feature to track all interactions with their content, making it easier to plan future campaigns. Overall, Instagram is an excellent way for local marketing consultants to reach local prospects and generate more leads.
Instagram's primary purpose hadn't changed from when it first launched: photo sharing. However, a " stories " feature has expanded to include videos. Thus, Instagram has developed into a fantastic platform for businesses to SHOW (instead of TELL) their goods, principles, and personality. If your target demographic is younger and frequently makes mobile purchases, Instagram is fantastic. Additionally, Instagram included a "Checkout" feature, making it entirely prepared for eCommerce. Your customers may now browse product photographs on your social media site and buy what they like straight from their Instagram account.
Facebook is an excellent platform for local marketing consultants to reach local prospects and build relationships with customers. It has many features, such as Groups, Pages, Facebook advertising, Events, and more, that can be used to engage local audiences. Businesses can use Facebook Ads to create targeted campaigns based on demographics, interests, location, and more. Additionally, companies can use the insights feature to track interactions with their content and make informed decisions about future campaigns. Businesses can also use Facebook Live to stream live events or workshops that local prospects may find interesting. Overall, utilizing the power of Facebook will help local marketing consultants to reach local audiences and generate leads from them.
Facebook's Marketplace is an excellent tool for local marketing consultants to take advantage of. Through the Marketplace, local businesses can list their products and services, allowing local prospects to find them more easily. The Marketplace also allows users to filter businesses according to location and other criteria, making it easier for local customers to find what they're looking for.
Once you've had their attention, it's also a terrific spot to communicate with Facebook users. Many businesses decide to set up exclusive communities on the platform where millions of consumers may join, engage, ask questions, and get a more tailored marketing experience. Facebook is a tool that practically any business can use. Paid ads are optional, even if they can be expensive and inconvenient. It is best to keep your account active to stay in touch and communicate with users.
LinkedIn is another powerful platform local marketing consultants should leverage. LinkedIn has over 500 million users, making it an ideal place for local businesses to establish their presence and reach local prospects. Businesses can create a company profile page to showcase their products and services and post content related to their industry to engage local audiences. Additionally, local businesses can use LinkedIn Ads to create targeted campaigns based on demographics and interests. Local businesses can also utilize the insights feature to track interactions with their content, allowing them to make informed decisions about future campaigns.
Aside from creating local awareness, local businesses can also use LinkedIn for local recruitment. Businesses may post job listings that local prospects may be interested in and search for local talent. Overall, local companies should take advantage of LinkedIn's features and use them to their benefit when engaging local audiences. LinkedIn can be an invaluable tool for local marketing consultants looking to generate more leads from local prospects.
Although it's not a strict restriction, users don't usually use LinkedIn for online commerce or entertainment. They visit to learn more about their field, keep up with their business relationships, and hunt for new job prospects. Like having a great pair of dress shoes in your closet, LinkedIn is something you should have even if you don't wear it often. With a LinkedIn business profile, you can (and should) showcase your brand, but its primary purpose is to cater to individual users and grow your professional network.
One application, WhatsApp, has a more prominent global adoption than any other regarding instant messaging. Over 2 billion people use the instant messaging app, which debuted in 2009 and is available everywhere. Why is WhatsApp so powerful? Over 180 countries use it, making it the most popular messaging application. Additionally, consumers read these messages, with 98% open and clicking for SMS (compared to 20% for email). The use of WhatsApp is cost-free. You may message, call, or video call with just about anyone for free as long as you possess WiFi or data access. WhatsApp's global user base is one of the main factors contributing to its popularity. When it started to become popular in some areas, it took off.
Similar apps frequently struggle to expand into new markets in a market crowded with competitors. Still, WhatsApp is considered the top mobile messaging platform in at least 112 nations, which is especially impressive given that it is available in 180 countries worldwide.
Undoubtedly, a significant contributor to WhatsApp's popularity is the software's widespread accessibility. WhatsApp is called "platform agnostic," which means it can be loaded on virtually any device, unlike comparable programs that are exclusively available on Apple, Android, or Windows devices. These exciting app features—sharing contacts, material, your location, and broadcasting your status—can only be fully utilized by other users when there are a large number of active users.
Youtube
Youtube is an excellent resource local marketing consultants should use to reach local prospects. Local businesses can create a Youtube channel to post videos related to their business, products, or services. Additionally, local companies may utilize Youtube Ads to develop targeted campaigns tailored to local audiences. Businesses can also engage local audiences by creating content centered around local events or local news. Local companies should generally leverage YouTube's capabilities to their advantage when interacting with local audiences.
Youtube is an effective platform for local businesses looking to increase brand awareness, engagement, and lead generation from local prospects. Furthermore, Youtube offers local businesses the opportunity to showcase their services or products in a more personalized manner. Using video content, local companies can engage local prospects by providing them with visual and interactive experiences that other platforms do not. For a broader audience, YouTube content may be shared on other social media platforms or included on your website.
Although it may be time-consuming to produce videos on Youtube, the potential return on investment can be significant if done correctly. Local businesses should also consider running influencer campaigns through YouTube to reach out to local prospects. By working with local influencers, local businesses can have access to a broad regional audience and build relationships. In 2020 and beyond, YouTube will be a fantastic social media channel for business. Learning to capture and edit videos that satisfy user expectations may take some time, but you don't need a Hollywood budget. Modern smartphones are fully capable of filming videos with excellent quality.
Conclusion
We at Progeektech have an entire team of social media experts who understand how to maximize using the best social media platform. We continually follow the most recent social media advertising trends and best practices, and we put in a lot of effort every day to produce the results you need. We streamline your advertising campaigns by considering your company's objectives and monthly budget.
Your company may expand like never if you have social media on your side!
Social media platforms are essential resources for local marketing consultants to reach local audiences and generate leads. By using the unique features that each platform provides, local businesses will be able to create organic content tailored to their local prospects. Additionally, some of these platforms offer companies the opportunity to utilize targeted campaigns or run influencer campaigns which can further help local businesses engage with their local audience on a more personal level. Social media is an invaluable asset for any local marketing consultant when used correctly.
Thank you for reading! Hopefully, this has shed some light on what local marketing consultants can do to utilize social media best and engage local audiences. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are here to help!