Social Media is any online platform where people can connect and communicate with each other online. Social Media Marketing is leveraging those platforms to market you or your products and services online. If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner who is not yet sold on the effectiveness of Social Media here are 7 reasons that may change your mind.
Reason #1 - It levels the playing field between you and the big boys. Finally you can compete with market leaders who usually have a much larger advertising budget than you do. Because the currency of social media is time not cash, it is a very economically way to get the word out about your products or services
Reason #2 - It gives you access to thought leaders. How else would you get to talk to the important thought leaders in your niche? The CEO's of large corporations and even our president, Barrak Obama, have been known to actually respond in person to messages on Facebook and Twitter.
Reason #3 - It allows you to show the people in your market that you care. You have the opportunity to listen to what people are saying about you. If there is a problem you can respond to it quickly and very often turn the problem into an asset.
Reason #4 - It gives everyone an equal voice even the shy introverted type of person. On the Internet, you can put your thoughts on paper and make sure they express your true point of view before you click that button to send them to the whole world. On the flip side it teaches the impulsive type of person some patience. It's hard to take something back once it is said online so it's important to make sure everything you put out there is something you would like your grandmother to read.
Reason #5 - It breaks down the barriers of space and time. It gives you the opportunity to develop relationships with people all over the world. Your market can become global very easily.
Reason #6 - It allows the entrepreneur or small business person the ability to do expensive market research. You can ask your target market exactly what kinds of products and services they want or need plus you can listen like a fly on the wall to what they are saying about you. The cost of this kind of research used to make it prohibitive to the small businesses.
Reason #7 - It actually rewards the business person for doing the right thing. Because the unwritten rules of Social Media are bent towards helping people and offering free, relevant, and useful information, tradition kinds of advertising don't work. There is no place for high pressure sales, hype and inflated promises. Your market has the opportunity to learn about you and your products without spending any money. After they get to know, like and trust you they can make an informed decision about whether to purchase from you or not.
