Social media matters! For companies of all types and sizes, having a social media presence can be the difference between success and failure. Most businesses understand that if you wish to reach your prospects and customers, an online presence is the foundation of the overall marketing and branding strategy. It increases your visibility and provides opportunities to interact with your current customers.

According to a Fast Company survey, 93% of corporate marketers use social media. Additionally, a survey conducted by Constant Contact of Small Businesses reveals that 87% of small businesses are using social media as a legitimate marketing tool.

Roughly 76% of all Americans have at least one social media profile. Facebook has over a billion subscribers, Twitter has 1/2 a billion and LinkedIn a 1/4 of a billion. How can you ignore this numbers? Technology is setting the bar higher for businesses to compete. If you are planning to keep up with technology and the demand for your company to appear as a more integrated entity, you need have to have some sort of social media presence.

Here are 6 reasons why businesses should build a strong social presence.

Increase Awareness of Your Brand

Having a strong social media presence is a beneficial way to spotlight your business and a chance to build a positive company identity. A strong, engaged social presence is vital because it makes people aware of you. Not simply that you exist, but that you’re a functioning, responsive business with something interesting going on now.

Increase Traffic to Your Site

Before buying anything, people like to do research online to find out the reputation of the business or product. Being on social media sites provides the consumer peace of mind that you are a real business and that you care enough about your company to interact with people and let them know about you.

Develop Loyal Fans

With hundreds of millions of users, there’s a large pool of distinct users that can be tapped into. Social media sites give your business an opportunity to connect with customers personally and get a feel for their needs and wants from their feedback, tweets and status updates. It is also an excellent opportunity to educate your potential customers about the latest trends in your industry.

Generate Sales

74% of consumers rely on social media to influence their purchasing decisions. Today’s consumers are intelligent and tech savvy. Most will browse online and read reviews and other customer’s experiences with a product before buying. When you stay in front of your customer base, they’re more likely to buy from you when they need the products you sell. Social media marketing doesn’t just keep your company’s name in front of potential buyers; it also gives you the opportunity to constantly give them incentives to buy online.

Open a channel for customer service contact and feedback

Being a business on social media creates a channel for contact and feedback. This is an opportunity to understand more about how you’re perceived, your customers’ experiences and to quickly respond to concerns or complaints. If there’s a problem with your product or service, you want to know about it immediately.

Keeps You Out in Front of the Competition

If you aren’t convinced of the importance of being on social media, perhaps this will open your eyes: right now your competitors are either on it, or soon will be. Your target market is using social media to find businesses that are in sync with their ideas and beliefs. Therefore, if they can’t find you on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and the other relevant networks, they will find your competition.

Companies who are well represented on social media will likely see an increase in customers and brand awareness – just from staying connected with clients, customers and leads.

Davtyan, Sam. "Social Media Is No Longer Optional For Small Businesses." Solopreneurs. <http://www.solopreneurs.co/social-media-no-longer-optional-small-businesses/>