Five reasons why ignoring social media is a costly business move

01 January 2020By Michelle

98% of businesses are now on social media. Are you among the few that aren’t? If so, you’re not only missing out, you could soon be left in the dust by your competition.

Here’s why today’s the day to get started on social, if you’re yet to set up shop on Facebook, Twitter and alike.

1. People are going to talk about you on social – are you going to be there to represent yourself?

Many businesses hear of social media struggles and feel that staying away is the way to go.

And yet not being on social media doesn’t protect you from the risk of bad press. People can and will talk about you – whether you’re to be found on social or not.

Only if you ARE there, you can monitor and pick up on negative conversations – communicating and intercepting in a bid to turn things around and change complaints into compliments.

2. Social media is the land of opportunity

Social media could and should hand you all the following (if your marketing strategy is on-point):

• Reach new audiences and prospects
• Deepen your relationship with existing customers
• Keep yourself front of mind with customers and prospects
• Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise

3. People now consider social media as central to their purchasing decisions

74% of consumers rely on social networks to help with their purchasing, while 31% say they use social media to browse for new items to buy. If you’re not there showing off your goods and educating your audience as to why they should choose you, these people are going to pick your competitors’ products instead.

4. Social media should amplify the effects of your other marketing efforts

If you’re already investing in other marketing mediums – like PR, SEO, PPC or content marketing, you’re losing out on a vital channel of promotion if you’re not on social.

Research shows that publishing over two or three channels result in a 24% increase in engagement, while increasing this to three or more skyrockets this to 300%.

5. B2B? Don’t make the mistake of thinking social media is only for B2C

89% of B2B businesses on Facebook – making it the top platform for both B2C and B2B businesses. Surprised? You might be even more so to hear that LinkedIn usage, by comparison, is a lowly 46%.

Before you go – You should know these five social media faux pas

1. Don’t be everywhere – Pick your social platforms wisely (and don’t be tempted to save time by using the same content over all channels – take your time to understand the content types that work best for each – check out our social platform round-up blog for an instant overview)
2. Don’t use a robot to do your replying – social followers can sniff out automated replies a mile off, and they can do massive damage to a brand. Take Oreo’s auto-response on Twitter as a good example, when the brand re-tweeted an offensive message from a fan. Not great for a family brand!
3. Don’t create basic, uninteresting posts that don’t add value to your audience’s lives.
4. Do not focus only on promotional posts – split your content 80/20 – 80 value-based content, 20 content about you
5. Don’t make out you’re someone you aren’t – don’t opt for a funny tone of voice if it doesn’t sit well with your brand identity. Be authentic. Be you.