Laura DonovanWe get calls every day from business owners looking for websites or marketing and advertising help. Often they ask how they can get higher on Searches – increase their SEO or ask where to advertise and make sales. We are constantly telling them the importance of having a strong Social Media presence with a professional strategy.
Most recognize the importance of this new medium. Others have some interesting excuses – my customers aren’t there, it is silly, Facebook is for kids, I don’t have time for it, I don’t have the budget for it, I don’t want too many customers, I like to meet all my customers face-to-face, etc.
If you use these excuses you may want to think about changing your mind. Your customers ARE on Social Media, they are using Facebook and Twitter, their friends are using it, they are researching brands and products and services and best of all they all make money and most have disposable income.
How are you finding customers?
With the slow death of phone book ads and newspapers and direct mail flyers becoming immediate recycling material – where are you finding customers if you aren’t using Social Media or online tools?
Attending networking and referral functions is time-consuming. Limiting your customers to only people you know also limits your income potential. (Amazon doesn’t know its customers personally, yet they are quite successful. Reps from Geico aren’t sitting next to you at breakfast meetings. My company gets 90% of its leads and customers from Google and Social Media.)
It is time to embrace Social Media and create a budget
If you are still running phone book ads and not getting solid leads then use that budget for Social Media. Get your businesses moving with a solid strategy, find a knowledgeable Social Marketer to manage your efforts, create an Advertising Campaign and start marketing on the accounts that are meaningful for your company. Treat Social Media seriously and it will create revenue.
Afraid you will get too many customers? Wouldn’t you rather have too many than too few?
Here are some solid reasons to market on Social Media:
- 77% of those who make $ 50,000-$ 74,999/year use Social Media
- 78% of those who make $ 75,000+/year use Social Media
- 74% of all Internet Users are using Social Networking sites
- 82% of Social Media users are between the ages of 30 and 49
- The fastest growing demographic on Twitter- 55 to 64 year age bracket
- 78% of consumers say a company’s Social Media Updates influence their purchases
- 93% of consumers’ buying decisions are influenced by Social Media
- 77% of B2C Businesses have acquired a customer through Facebook
- Social Media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing
The statistics prove that your customers are there and that the Social Platforms are a serious tool that consumers are using. So make 2015 the year you finally embrace Social Media Marketing and Advertising and succeed!
(Sources: PewResearch, HubSpot)
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