© Black Dog New Media 2012

Top 10 Reasons Why Business Uses Social Media

April 2013

© Black Dog New Media 2012

© Black Dog New Media 2012

Believe it or not, there are still businesses out there that are not engaging their audience through social media.

Whether your business is B2B or B2C, social media is a powerhouse that isn't going away.

Luckily, you can use that power to help build your business in the following ways (and yes, there are many more than these ten!)…

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1.Build Your Brand

Interacting with others gives you an element of control over what people think of you and your business which can help with brand recognition.

People are always more likely to buy from a business or brand they feel they know.

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2.Find New Prospects And Leads

Through social media, you can connect with potential customers and clients alike. Via social media people connect to your business because they like you and want to hear from you.

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3. Market And Competitor Intelligence

Knowing what potential buyers are talking about gives you a huge advantage. When you know what they want, you can tailor your business to fit their needs.

Find out what your competitors are doing and what consumers think of the competition. If a rival is doing something wrong, you can make sure you do it right.

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4. Build A Community

By building a community around your business, you create fans that trust you and are loyal to you. And the thing about great communities is that there are always new people who want to join.

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5.Give Your Business A Personality

You can use social media to give your business a face. Not only can you be the voice of your brand, but you allow your customers to have a voice. It's genuine two-way communication. 

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6. Rank Better In The Search Engines

Create profiles on every major social media platform and include a links back to your website.

Post enticing content often to create buzz for your brand and increase website visits.

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7. Network With Influencers In Your Industry

Do your research and find the right platform to accomplish this for your business sector. Not only will you get noticed, you could also gain some lucrative business opportunities.

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8. Marketing

People are more likely to buy from you if they feel like they know you. If you build a presence on popular social media platforms, you will create a community of consumers already pre-sold on buying your products or services.

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9. Customer Service

Your customers are less likely to complain when they feel they are dealing with people. Social media gives businesses the opportunity to be more accessible and available to their customers and demonstrate how good they are at handling complaints.

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10. Stay Connected

When things get hectic, it's easy to forget your target audience and how to appeal to them. Constant interaction with your market through social media is a necessary element for a business to keep in touch.

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So there you have it. It’s not rocket science, just basic good business practice.

And in most cases the reason for this not happening is simple, a lack of planning and forethought.

Social media strategies needn’t be overly complicated or cost the earth. All you need is to give it some time and maybe a little advice…(ahem!)