For businesses today, there are two digital elements they need to get the most exposure for their audiences: a website and a social media presence. While there are many other marketing outlets that could be as important as those two, we’d argue that those are the two must-haves. Think about it: there are 1.96 billion people who have at least one social media account, and there’s a very good chance that some of them are your audience.

If you have asked yourself, “why should my business use social media,” we’ve listed the short- and long-term benefits businesses can experience with social media.

Instant Benefits:

Direct Channel to Communicate with Customers

Social media has completely changed the way brands communicate to their customers. With a simple click of a button, you can start a conversation with followers around the corner or across seas, which allows your business to stay top-of-mind.

Brands now use their social media channels to answer common questions their customers are asking, get feedback about their products/services, and understand the sentiment of their company. If your brand can find a way to use social media as a two-way conversation, you’ll build a strong relationship and, in the long run, brand loyalty.

Showcase Your Brand Personality/Voice

Humanizing your brand has become increasing important in today’s digital world. With social media, your brand can utilize this outlet as a chance to highlight your brand’s voice and personality. A consistent tone across all of your social platforms can really do wonders for your business, and your online following will want to have real conversations with you. Take this opportunity to show you’re more than a brand; you’re human and can communicate with your audience through social.

Increase Brand Trust

Your audience uses social media to find businesses, products or services. By creating a page for your business on popular social media channels, you’ll experience more brand recognition because you can be found where your audience is searching.

However, this is only half the battle. Now that they found you, they will expect your brand to be active and accessible on these pages. When you’re lively on more than one social channel, your audience will want to become better acquainted with your business. This, in turn, will build more trust between you and this audience.

That being said, it’s important to focus on creating high-quality content on a regular basis to maximize your social exposure.

Long-Term Benefits:

SEO Benefits

That’s right, a strong social media presence will improve your website’s SEO in the long run. When your followers share, comment or like a social post that includes a link to your website, you get a social share. Social shares tell Google, “This website is trending because of all the shares it has.” The more social shares you get, the better your rankings on sites will be.

If your brand can focus on growing your follower base and optimize your posts for searches, you will take great steps toward these SEO benefits. Keep in mind that your SEO will not improve overnight; this organic strategy will need continuous attention for the best results.

Become an Industry Leader

If your social channels regularly share solid, value-offering content, you could eventually establish yourself as an industry leader on social media. Take the time to post helpful content that serves your audience. Just remember to not upsell yourself too often, as this is a very common mistake made. By following this plan, you’ll differentiate your brand and build a very loyal fan base.

Social media can be a power tool if you allow it to be. It does take some dedication, but if you can put in the hard work the results will speak for themselves.

To learn more about social media, check out our guide to building a killer content strategy for social or contact GreenMellen Media today!