Small businesses have always been the backbone of society. They have existed ever since man decided to form settlements and adopt a communal way of life. As society has progressed, the nature of small businesses has also evolved; however; they always have been a cornerstone for society’s economic growth and sustenance. In older times, small businesses primarily operated within their local areas; only targeting people in their vicinity. The services and products they could offer were very limited as they needed to offer solutions which appealed to most people in the society, in order to keep the business afloat. Some typical examples one could consider are convenience stores, dairy products, restaurants and automobile workshops. Due to limited supply and demand, there was no space for innovative niche products, However, as society has evolved, consumers have become much more sophisticated, and most industries have many niches and sub-niches that allow new companies to grow. This has led to massive economic growth and created many jobs for people.
The Role of the Internet:
With the invention of the internet, we have slowly morphed into a global economy due to an increased ease of access. Nowadays, you will find people in third-world countries running businesses alongside people in developed countries; resulting in higher revenue for them. The only reason this is possible is because of the internet. If there was no internet, you would miss out on so many opportunities simply due to being born in a place where your skills or product were not appreciated.
Social Media and Small Businesses:
Social media is probably the biggest game-changer when it comes to marketing. If we’re looking at some of the main tenets of how social media has impacted marketing in small businesses, here’s a list:
- Increased brand audience
- Engage with comments
- Ability to go viral by hopping on trends
- Keep up with your competitors
- Save a lot of money on advertising
Before I move on, in case you’re a small business looking to figure out how to create a killer social media strategy and get ahead of your competitors, you might want to check out this article.
Increased Brand Audience:
Social media has resulted in an environment where it has become increasingly simple to share and receive content. The algorithm is designed in such a way that users are shown content that aligns with their interests, and if your content is compelling and engaging, the algorithm boosts it. By doing so, your brand lands right in front of your target audience!
Engaging with Comments:
People love dropping comments on social media posts and as a brand; by responding to the comments on your post, you can create a personalized connection with your audience. With a physical store, its different because your customers visit your store and you see them in person; however, with social media you need to be proactive in responding to build that connection.
Following Current Trends:
One of the biggest hacks to become successful on social media is to keep a check on what’s trending on social media. There are new trends which blow up overnight and then die down just as fast. However, by posting content relevant to those trends; you have a much higher chance of increasing your audience and having your content shared by users!
This doesn’t mean that you need to compromise your brand integrity and values just to hop on the bandwagon. If you’re a little creative with it, you’ll find that there are lots of trends you can follow in a humorous manner, further humanizing your brand and personalizing your connection with your audience.
Keeping Up with Competitors:
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” A brand’s social media is a public platform for everyone to use. You can use this to your advantage by closely checking your competitors. You can closely monitor what your competitors are up to on social media and what sort of traction they receive for their posts. As a small business owner, you’re competing with big and small businesses offering services similar to yours. However, by taking inspiration from competitors and personalizing the content according to your brand, the task of creating compelling content can seem less daunting and even more effective.
Save Marketing Money:
The bottom line is that social media is a FREE platform for posting content with an absolutely massive audience. What sweetens the deal even further is that you can leverage social media for whatever your goals are: building brand awareness, getting new leads, or establishing authority for your brand. In the old days, you could only run TVCs or buy billboard space and publicize your brand there, which is not an option for most small businesses.
Of course, social media also requires a dedicated team and resources, including tools; however, this is a much more cost-effective approach to achieving specific business goals and targets.
If reading this article made you feel that building a solid social media strategy is necessary for your brand (it probably is) but you feel you don’t have the time to do so, helping small businesses grow their brand is our specialty!
Get in touch with us regarding our social media marketing services!