3 big reasons social media is a must for a small business are: your audience, your image, and your future. Social media is an essential tool for business to communicate with customers, industry and community. Conducting a successful social media campaign can be confusing and challenging, but with the correct goals and strategies in place any size business can have a robust presence with social media. “Social media has changed the delivery, structure, and availability of information to reach current and future customers and others. Small business leaders are using social media marketing to promote their business to gain visibility, viability, and sustainability to survive in the current competitive era” (Taneja & Toombs, 2014).

Increase social media to increase sales

Your Audience:

A small business can win big through the use of social media if it is using the correct sites for its customers. Knowing your audience and connecting with them where they are is key. “Social media have provided marketers tools to reach to their respective targets with new and efficient ways of not only approaching their target markets, but also, to encourage word-mouth communication and support among online communities by increasing consumers’ interest in the company” (Castronovo & Huang, 2012).

Your Image:

A small business must have a distinct image of who and what its value is in the community. Having a consistent branding strategy across all marketing media is essential. Social media can help communicate this message with inexpensive, immediate interactions. Posting pictures, videos, links and promotions convey this image directly to the customer. When the right content meets the right customer, engagement and customer satisfaction will increase.

Your Future:

Creating a social media plan that increases customer participation, satisfaction, and showcases the brand’s value can increase sales and profit. Small businesses that are using social media correctly can create personal connections with their current customers and increase exposure to other markets. A small business has the potential to grow and evolve through social media, and this can position the business to withstand challenges in the marketplace while experiencing organic growth.

#smallbusiness, #networking, #socialbusiness, #thinkbig

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-guide-small- businesses/

Do you have another 3 big reasons of your own to share?

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References

Castronovo, C., & Huang, L. (2012). Social Media in an Alternative Marketing Communication    Model. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 6(1), 117-134.

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2012). Social media: Back to the roots and back to the future. Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 14(2), 101-104. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13287261211232126

Taneja, S., & Toombs, L. (2014). putting a face on small businesses: Visibility, viability, and sustainability the impact of social media on small business marketing. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 18(1), 249.

Schaupp, L. C., & Bélanger, F. (2014). The value of social media for small businesses. Journal of Information Systems, 28(1), 187-207. doi:10.2308/isys-50674

By Desi B.

Category: Advanced Tactics, Analytics, Blogging, Integrating with Traditional Marketing, ROI, Social Media Marketing 101