The popularity of social media has created a new community, a virtual marketplace where suggestions are sought and feedback is given. This exciting new world offers nearly limitless opportunities for a business. Here are the top 5 reasons you need social media:
- Stay connected to your customers.
- Your target demographic is out there somewhere.
- It’s free.
- Take charge of your online presence.
- Your competition is doing it.
You know the sale is never final just because your customer has walked out your door, or because you’ve shipped your product. Social media provides an additional pipeline for their feedback, and more importantly, for you to quickly and easily respond to them.
It’s not just for teenagers anymore. A majority of Facebook users (52%) are ages 18-34, and a majority of Twitter users (57%) are 26-44. The plurality of users of the relatively new Google+ (35%) are 26-34. The oldest demographic measured, 55+, was most represented on Pinterest (11%) and the professional networking site LinkedIn (10.5%). Women comprise 60% of Facebook users; 57% on Twitter, and 68.2% on Pinterest. Men are heavily represented on Google+ (63%), and less so on LinkedIn (55%).
Anyone can build a profile on any of the major social networks for nothing more than the time it takes to create one. Yes, it takes time to properly maintain a social-media presence, but it’s a low-risk/high-reward investment.
Like it or not, you’re online anyway. With nearly a billion people using Facebook, and more than half a billion using Twitter, word can spread to a lot of people in a hurry. Don’t sit back hoping they’re saying nice things about you. Get into the game and create your own buzz.
Your mother may have cautioned you about jumping off a bridge if all your friends were doing it, but she probably wasn’t talking about business. With so many businesses using social media, they’re seeing positive impact in search results and siphoning off customers who might otherwise be perfectly happy with your business … if they only knew you existed.