Social media is everywhere. It's how people stay connected with the world around them these days. It has spread the gamete from young to old...social media is a market not to be ignored. It's true that as a small business a website is good to have and serves a purpose. But if you have a website and aren't using social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn you are missing a whole market of people. In fact, I'm going to go as far as saying that having a presence on these sites is probably more important to your small business than a website. Why? Glad you asked...
1. It Builds Community
Social media sites, like Facebook, open a whole new world up to small businesses. The goal in this instance is to have a group of fans or followers who will vouch for your company's services, so that others will hear & try your company then tell their people how pleased they are with what you have to offer. Ever hear of word of mouth marketing, this is it guys. People trust what their friends and family are saying about a business or product more than they trust what that company's website is saying about itself. Word of mouth spreads faster and has more credibility. Before you know it you have a whole community standing behind your business willing to support and pay for your product.
2. Time
Website's take time. Unless you are professional website guru getting a decent website up and running takes time. You have to find the right person to help you, you have to get together content, and once it's all up and running you have to maintain that website. Keeping it up to date with your latest sales and promotions takes time. Social media on the other hand works a little differently. It takes half the time and it's pretty straight forward. You can set up a Facebook page, put together a post or two, and have a following built up within a couple days. Social media is set up to connect people to each other.
3. It's free!
Completely free. There's NO money needed to open a Twitter or Facebook account. Most social media sites offer some marketing features that do cost money, but you don't have to use them to be successful at reaching people. A website can be a costly expense, especially if you want to do it right. A website that is not customer friendly and easy to navigate will not hold potential leads long. It takes money to put a professional site together. If you need to get the word out about your business and you can't afford a website right away start with social media first.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against using a website. I'm sure we'll have a few posts on the benefits that websites have to offer small businesses. But if you are looking for a way to reach a lot of people quickly with out breaking the budget and build a loyal following of customers who support your brand, social media is the way to go. It is a great resource for new and old businesses alike. Small businesses have to get the word out there if they want to be found. Social media is a good first step.
*Image courtesy of BPlanet / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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