In this episode of Actionable Marketing In Minutes we discuss the many benefits of social media marketing.

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Problem:

I don’t think it is a great surprise to many people that social media platforms account for more traffic than any other category. That is great, but what is the benefit to you? People are constantly posting pictures of their children or some cute animal, liking the latest comment from a friend, and retweeting their favorite celebrity quotes, but how does that translate into a return for your business?

Solution:

Social proof and reviews are the primary driver behind purchasing decisions for many people in this day and age. Nearly everyone reads reviews for products they are interested in, many younger folks poll their friends on Facebook about a big purchase or brand decision, and a lot of people spend time combing through various blogs to get opinions about a particular item they are interested in. Like it or not, the days of many people purchasing an item in a less social way are long gone. In a world of so much variety and so many choices, users are looking for validation and proof that they are making a wise choice, and that is exactly what social media marketing aims to accomplish.

By building your brand’s social media presence, you are expanding your identity, establishing greater trust, and you are enhancing your brand image and reputation. You now are able to share stories, thoughts, and opinions as a relatable, transparent brand. Users can see that you are answering common questions, that you are adding helpful content to the community, and that you are actively and earnestly responding to customer complaints.

Benefits:

When your brand is active in social media channels, users can tell. People that like your brand will like or follow your social platforms. They will see what you are doing and engage with your brand directly. As users engage with your brand, friends of those users will see this and it will open that internal dialogue. Fans of your brand will share your content and promote your posts, often times with no direct cost to you! By doing this you will slowly develop relationship capital, you will build a bond with your user base and you will begin to generate fiercely loyal users that will constantly champion your good or services. And be proud to do so!

While this process isn’t immediate or without effort, it is one of the most powerful ways to build an engaged and loyal user base that will grow organically as you continue to publish content that establishes your unique POV or style directly to your customers on your social channels.

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