It’s 2024, and the world is heading towards world-transforming technology like never before.
Be it Bitcoin, NFTs, Web 3.0, or Metaverse, big brands like Nike, Coca-cola, Adidas, and McDonald’s are way ahead in embracing cutting-edge technology.
If you don’t know these complex terms, don’t worry!! This blog is neither about crypto nor will I explain what blockchain technology is?!
The reason I mentioned these terms is the behaviour of businesses.
On the one hand, the world is embracing new technology every passing day. On the other hand, some businesses are still reluctant to be on social media. I mean why?
Consumer habits are changing rapidly and if you are not present where they are, you are missing out on almost every possibility of growth. In 2020, over 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to almost 4.41 billion in 2025.
Don’t you think, not utilizing this huge asset for your business is one hell of a mistake? By not trying to capture the attention of these 4.2 billion users, you are losing millions & utterly good stuff.
My restaurant is always full as my business is reaching more and more people with social media marketing – Dr Harshad Godwani
This "good stuff" could be growth, community, leads, opportunities, or sales. By taking advantage of social media channels, you can achieve anything or maybe everything.
No matter, whether you are a small business with 1 or 10 employees or a bigshot MNC with a huge workforce, social media should be an integral part of your marketing strategy. Consumer habits are changing rapidly, and if you are not present where they are, you are missing out on almost every possibility of growth. With the right social media strategy, your business would be able to increase awareness, attract customers, build loyal followings and connect with them on a personal level. Imagine how much time and resources you would have required to do the same a mere 10 years ago?
I know, this won’t be enough to make up your mind. It’s a human tendency and I won’t blame you either. We won’t believe it unless we feed our minds with proof or real-life case studies.
What if I tell you I have got amazing real-life examples to make you believe in the power of social media marketing?
I am handling social media marketing for more than 10 businesses and I have brought some stellar results for them.
So, here are three main benefits (with examples) of social media marketing for businesses like yours.
Business Authenticity
What would you do if you are planning to visit a new restaurant in town that everyone is talking about? You will go to Google and you will check their reviews. Later, you will go to Facebook and read their reviews. Lastly, you will go to Instagram and see what their food looks like. And then, you will make a decision whether to visit that restaurant or not. Imagine, somebody is doing the same with your business and leaving when they don’t find anything credible.
That's how the reaction should be! Within no time, you lost a customer, a loyal follower, and a lifetime buyer. And there will be hundreds of other people doing the same.
You can’t change the buyer behaviour but you can adjust your business to that behaviour. An effective presence on social media helps you build authenticity.
One of my clients started a restaurant about eight months ago. The restaurant is on the highway and they wanted to target travellers as well as local audiences. We can target the local audience by word-of-mouth but how about visitors coming from different cities and states? How to win their trust given the fact that they know nothing about the restaurant, food, or location?
Based on the business goals, we formed a solid social media strategy. Initially, we decided to focus on Google reviews and social media content. We started asking for Google reviews from the local customers and collected more than 850+ reviews in just eight months.
At the same time, I started posting eye-catchy food content on social media channels. We crossed 500+ followers in no time as I was using modern-day features such as reels, shorts, and stories.
Now, whenever travellers search ‘Restaurant near me’ on Google, the name of this restaurant pops up on the top. It has a huge advantage as no other restaurant has this many reviews nor they have optimised and active social media channels. Today, this restaurant is the first choice of travellers and local audiences.
Brand Awareness
You can reach hundreds, thousands and millions of people without spending a dime. No! I am not high on anything but telling you the ultimate social media truth. If you know how to use social media right, you can get your business in front of thousands of people. But how? Modern-day social media features such as reels, shorts, threads or polls can help you get more impressions and views. Not only that, you can increase your chances of going viral if you constantly come up with content that is loved by your audience. See how easy it is?
Engage, post and engage again! Follow this strategy and your content will start reaching more and more eyeballs.
One of my clients has amassed more than 2 million views in less than 3 months that too without spending a penny on paid advertisements. I have managed to get him viral not once (50k+ views), not twice (700k+ views) but thrice (1 million+ views).
He owns a restaurant and serves good delicacies. One day, I went to his restaurant and as he was involved in some work, I decided to record his videos. Later, I added an ‘Emotional Connect’ to one of the videos and posted it on Instagram. Soon, it became viral. 1 million+ views, 1k+ additional customers, 800+ followers, all these from a single viral video.
Imagine the potential social media has for your business. Thousands of people know about your business without you spending anything on marketing. How cool is that?
Opportunities
Social platforms present an ocean of opportunities to businesses. It lets you connect with your audience at a deeper level. Building a strong bond with your followers will help you stay on top of their minds. And when they need a product/service similar to yours, you will be the first one to cross their minds. Ask questions, engage with their content, provide superior customer service, get feedback, and scale your operations. Social media can be the easiest way to convert your visitors into brand advocates. Imagine influencers falling in love with your product/service and proposing collaboration opportunities? They talk about your product/service to their followers and suddenly, your sales pipeline is filled with orders. In a nutshell, social media presents thousands of opportunities for your business.
I have managed to get my client's inbox full of franchise enquiry with the help of nothing but organic social media marketing. My client owns a franchise business and he was planning to expand his franchise to multiple locations. I created a reel, added an emotional touchpoint and boom, it went viral. Within 7 days, the viral video brought him 50+ franchise enquiries.
I guess, this will be enough to make up your mind. Remember, if it is working for other businesses, it will work for your business too. Be patient, post good content, engage with the community and you will see the numbers shining.
If you are being present on social media platforms but playing a post and ghost game, stop doing that! That’s not social media marketing and it will bring no results. In order to meet your business goals and get the most out of platforms, you have to have a proper social media marketing strategy in place. That being said, I can help you crush your marketing goals. With more than 7 years of experience, I have worked with billion and million dollar companies and helped them achieve their marketing objectives.
Get in touch and let’s make a social media marketing strategy for your business.