What Is Social Media Marketing And How It Can Help Your Small Business

No business today can afford not to have an online presence, be it a B2B company or a B2C company. From startups to small businesses to huge corporations, every business entity acknowledges the power of internet and realize that it is the key to reach potential customers.

Marketers have been shifting their focus to digital marketing or online marketing to tap the potential of an ever growing online audience. Apparently, social media marketing happens to be the main aspect of digital marketing. No wonder the traditional term ‘marketing’ is gradually been replaced by terms like ‘online marketing‘, ‘internet marketing’, ‘digital marketing’ and ‘social media marketing‘.

Now all these ‘social’ terms can be confusing, so let us first understand what is social media and social networking.

What is social media?

Generally speaking, media is an instrument of mass communication such as newspaper, radio or television. So social media can be described as an instrument of social communication.

Social media refers to the websites and applications that allow users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Websites and applications dedicated to social networking, forums, microblogging, social bookmarking, social news, social photo and video sharing and wikis are among the different types of social media.

What is social networking?

Social networking is the use of respective websites and applications to interact with other users, or to find people with similar interests to one’s own. Social networking websites allow individuals and businesses to interact with each other and build relationships and communities online.

Companies can have more direct and personal interaction with consumers through social networking. An important aspect that was missing in traditional ways of outbound advertising and marketing.

Also social networking sites act as word of mouth for businesses and brands. They allow users to share information, reviews or comments posted by others about a company or a product being promoted. As the post gets shared multiple times and reaches numerous networks, the product gets great exposure and company enjoys the benefit of traffic that gets redirected to them.

Understanding Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is the process of gaining website traffic or attention through social networking sites. Social media marketing strategy involves use of top social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn and others to post content that attracts attention and encourages readers to share it across their social networks. Thus building brand recognition and popularity.

Social media marketing takes advantage of social networking to help a business gain brand recognition and expand its customer base. The primary aim is to create content that is attractive and informative enough for users to share it further in their social networks.

How Social Media Marketing Benefit Your Small Business

Social media marketing strategy works when users share your content with their social networks. What makes these corporate messages successful is the fact that as such messages are shared further they seem to have come from a trusted, third-party source rather than the brand or company itself. So this form of marketing thrives on word-of-mouth, which means it results in earned publicity rather than paid publicity!

Here are some of the ways how social media marketing can improve your business –

• Social media marketing builds and enhances brand recognition. It makes you accessible to new customers while making you more familiar and recognizable for existing customers.
• Sharing regular posts on social media is an opportunity for lead generation. Social networking gives you access to potential customers, first time buyers, recent customers and old customers, and you are able to interact with all of them.
• Social media marketing results in higher conversion rates simply because it has a humane touch to it. Your social media profile and constant interactions make you act like people do rather than a company. And this is significant as people like doing business with other people, not with companies.
• Social media marketing improves brand loyalty. According to a report published by Texas Tech University, “Companies should take advantage of the tools social media gives them when it comes to connecting with their audience. A strategic and open social media plan could prove influential in morphing consumers into being brand loyal.”
• The more quality content you share through social media, the more inbound traffic you get. Needless to say, more traffic means more leads and more conversions. Also social media marketing results in better search engine rankings.
• Social media marketing is highly cost-effective as your marketing costs are reduced considerably.

Leverage the Expertise of Professional Social Media Marketing Companies to Boost Your Business Online

Using the power of social media marketing can help you expand your customer base in a drastic way. But getting started without any previous experience or insight could be challenging.

According to Hubspot, 92% of marketers in 2014 claimed that social media marketing was important for their business, with 80% indicating their efforts increased traffic to their websites. And according to Social Media Examiner, 97% of marketers are currently participating in social media—but 85% of participants aren’t sure what social media tools are the best to use.

It is essential that you understand social media marketing fundamentals. Going wrong with your social media marketing strategy can cause your business harm than benefit. With a good number of professional social media marketing companies, you can choose a reliable partner and enjoy the benefits of their domain expertise. From maximizing quality to increasing your online entry points, social media marketing companies can help you develop an effective social media marketing strategy and achieve desired results from it.

Talking about credibility and performance, Cliff Tech is a remarkable digital marketing agency. They employ the most technically advanced mechanisms to deliver fruitful results. The parent company, Cliff Technologies is a universal technological, outsourcing and consulting company connecting 30 countries in 5 continents with global initiative and services.

Optimization Systems is another reliable player in the market Optimization Systems caters to clients who require an intensive, full-service approach to search engine marketing. As experts in the search engine optimization and marketing industry, the management and employees of Optimization Systems have a proven track record for crafting effective internet marketing strategies with measurable, long-term results.

Nebula, Digital Fives and TIC are few other well-known social media marketing companies that can help you with your social media marketing strategy.