Have you heard of this story called Jack and the Beanstalk?
Well, basically, a young boy called Jack, plants some magic beans in his yard, and this giant beanstalk magically appears the next day!
Won’t it be amazing if EVERY company has these magic beans to generate new leads? What if I told you that every company has the opportunity to go to this special place to buy these magic beans?
You would probably tell me I am crazy, or woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and bumped my head. But what if there is? SOCIAL MEDIA!
Now, don’t go daydreaming and thinking that if you merely open a social media account like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, then new leads will magically appear like the giant beanstalk. Sadly, none of that is true.
The truth is, although social media is the most powerful form of marketing in this 21st century, it is not a magic bean that grows overnight into business success! Instead, it is a platform that requires real work.
So what exactly is the POWER of Social Media?
#1: Almost everyone is using it
You know those people who might potentially get neck problems in the future? Those people with their necks perpetually down and eyes constantly glued to their phones? Yes, those people. Well, they are most likely either on social media or watching their Korean dramas whilst on the way to work.
I can even confidently say that most Singaporeans have either one of these platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. The fact is that the number of users on social media is constantly on the rise. More and more people are getting pressured to get an account. Even Jennifer Aniston recently created an Instagram account at the age of 50. (And if you do not know who Jennifer Aniston is, please go back and binge watch “friends”).
Therefore, it makes sense to target these people on social media, who are perpetually scrolling through their feed when they have nothing better to do on their journey to and from work.
#2: Social Media improves trust and credibility
Want to generate more leads? Well, studies have shown that social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing.
Moreover, a higher number of social media followers tend to improve the trust and credibility of a brand or company. Let me ask you this, would you rather buy from a company that has 5 followers, or from a company with 500 followers? It’s no brainer, really. Therefore, it is important to build your social media audience! However, remember, buying your followers is not the way to go about increasing your trust and credibility.
#3: Social Media brings people together
Let’s face it, in this day and age, when you go out to eat with friends or colleagues, before anyone even touches or smells the food, what is the one thing you would see people doing? That’s right, take out their phones, snapping a photo of it and posting it on their social media platforms!
I mean, it is so common nowadays for people to share their lives with families, friends, acquaintances and even strangers – from sharing holiday photos, to food photos, to live stories or tweets, etc. Social media is in fact becoming a collective platform where people of all genders, age, race, culture, and backgrounds can come together and create content.
“Previously, our lives were more about what happened in our neighbourhood and our relationships with the people nearby. Now, social media has erased national borders and distances. We can relate in a different way to events and people in far-away places, and can meet up in global communities online.” – Jan Nolin
In business, social media even allows companies to share their past events or teambonding activities with all who follow them.
#4: Social Media encourages personalized interaction
Yet, social media engagement is no longer a bonus for customers. It is not an important part of customer service. Instead of emailing you, or filling up a form on your website, some customers might prefer to engage the services or ask their questions via social media platforms. Hence, creating a voice for your company through social media is indeed essential in humanizing your company.
Don’t believe? Well, let me just say this. According to an infographic published by Ambassador, 71% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand to others if they have a positive experience with it on social networks. Do you believe now?
#5: Social Media allows for community building
With networking sites such as LinkedIn, it now becomes easier for companies (B2B) and customers (B2C) to expand their network of people and potential customers or clients, and connect with them on a personal level.
Moreover, this allows for community building. It is also important to deliver great content and information, and focus on building a community, before monetary gains.
Yet, with more exposure to the online world of social media, the greater the risk of potential cyber attacks or hacks. So do make sure you IT Security is in check!
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