Search engine optimisation. Streaming video ads. Email marketing. Keyword research. Business directory listings. Banner ads. These are just some of the most prominent online advertising strategies that are being utilised by small-and-medium businesses today. Integrated with an effective social media marketing campaign, SMEs can enjoy the business popularity and improvement in sales that they’re aspiring for.
Today, every organisation wanting to capture a larger piece of the market pie has established an account in social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blog networks and other online communities. But merely setting up an account is not enough; it’s free and it can be accomplished by most web-literate kids. What’s difficult is handling your social media presence well. Ever experienced looking for a business on Facebook, only to find an empty page without information or friends? Or, seeing an active Facebook wall, only to read the mostly negative comments about the business? Chances are, you would have stopped your search and looked for another alternative then. A poorly managed online social image can be disastrous. You need the help of a social media team who will market you professionally and translate your online buzz to business success.
According to a recent study, 97 per cent of business owners believe that a social media marketing campaign can benefit their business. That is why 75 per cent of marketing decision makers will be increasing their budget for social media campaigns this year. Indeed, nobody’s wasting the opportunity to engage over 800 million subscribers, who belong to the most active and responsive markets today.
One of the most proven benefits of social media marketing is that it increases brand awareness. If you learned about something over your online networks, there’s a big chance that a huge number of people has already heard about it, too. Talking about a product or service over a friend’s wall or someone’s personal blog increases the sense of familiarity and trust for the brand, which is a positive development for any business wanting to be a household name.
Another great benefit is the increased sales a social media campaign brings. How many times have you brought something because you saw a review on someone’s page? Or how many instances have you been tempted to order a certain item because of the convenience of being in the same network or social circle?
Social media marketing campaigns also help reduce costs, especially in marketing and advertising. It’s still more expensive to place an ad over a daily or magazine compared to simply posting a Tweet about your latest promo. It’s also likely to be seen by more people and passed on to others. What’s more, launching this type of online promo does not take a whole department to accomplish—typically, a team of three can already make the rounds of social media sites effectively.
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